Mount Gambier woman arrested for hiding in truck to return home from Vic escapes jail and fines, truck driver arrested

A 65-year-old woman who spent several weeks in Victoria, amid soaring coronavirus cases, has faced court after returning home to Mount Gambier by hiding in a truck. The truck driver has been located and arrested.

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A woman has who hid in a truck travelling from Victoria into South Australia has escaped a fine or jail time.

Meanwhile, police this afternoon arrested the alleged truck driver, a 46-year-old Mount Gambier man.

COVID Compliance Officers attended a business in Regency Park about 1pm Friday, where they arrested the man.

He has been taken to the Adelaide Watch House, charged with failing to comply with directions under the Emergency Management Act. He was refused bail and will face the Adelaide Magistrates Court this afternoon.

Patricia Anne Kohn, 65, faced the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court on Friday, and pleaded guilty to her charge of failing to comply with COVID-19 directions.

Magistrate Maria Panagiotidis convicted Kohn of 18 days imprisonment which was suspended on a nine month good behaviour bond.

Police say Kohn, of Mount Gambier, had spent several weeks in Victoria before sneaking back home some time on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Officers conducting border checks. Picture: SA Police

The incident has led to a call from the Opposition for mandatory checks of every truck and car crossing the Victorian border – as well as mandatory testing at the border – and provision of the resources necessary to ensure this happens in an efficient manner.

At the moment, truck drivers travelling into SA from Victoria or NSW need to be tested once a week.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said a ‘no test, no entry’ position was needed to protect the state.

“The fact that there have been thousands of people that have come across from Victoria in recent weeks really demonstrates that there is still an ongoing risk,” he said.

“Recent reports of truck drivers moving to and from Victoria without being stopped at the border clearly raises questions about unnecessary risk.

“We must be doing everything we possibly can to ensure we don’t have COVID-19 coming back into South Australia, particularly from Victoria, in a way that could result in a second wave.”

SA Road Transport Association executive officer Steve Shearer said it’s important the issue is not politicised.

“We have had over 10,000 entries a week across the border for the past four and a half months and not a single case of COVID transmission by a truck driver,” he said.

“Truck drivers are isolated 95 to 98 per cent of the time and when they are out of their truck, they’re using COVID-safe procedures.”

Mr Shearer said it was in truck drivers’ best interests to ensure COVID regulations were met, otherwise they would be jeopardising their own jobs and businesses.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Corey Wingard said the Transition Committee had put processes in place to keep South Australians safe.

“We need to keep freight moving between the states. We need to keep people in jobs,” he said.

“We need to keep people working and that’s vitally important and the Transition Committee is

looking at that regularly to make sure we get it right. I trust the work they are doing.”

Victoria recorded a grim milestone on Thursday with more than 700 new cases of COVID-19.

Only essential travellers are allowed to cross the border from Victoria after new restrictions were imposed this week.

Earlier this month, four Victorian men were caught stowing away on a Perth-bound train. They were released without being fined, sparking a chorus of criticism, including from Business SA.

The SA border will remain closed to NSW and ACT residents – but the Transition Committee will meet on Friday to discuss any changes.