Dylan Martin and Dillon Mitchell refused bail after being arrested for breaching border restrictions in SA near Victorian border
A court has heard one of two Adelaide men accused of speeding through a border crossing and driving hundreds of kilometres into SA didn’t know about restrictions, with a magistrate asking if he’s been “living under a rock”.
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Two Adelaide men who were arrested for allegedly speeding across the Victorian border into South Australia have been labelled a high risk of reoffending and refused bail.
Dylan Martin, 25, and Dillon Mitchell, 26, appeared in custody in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday charged with driving dangerously to escape police pursuit and not complying with COVID-19 restrictions as well as other driving charges.
The pair are accused of crossing the border checkpoint on the Dukes Highway at Wolseley, near the Victorian border, about 1.30am Friday without stopping.
They were followed by police and eventually tyre spiked near Tailem Bend, 285km away where both were taken into custody.
Magistrate Simon Smart heard that Mitchell had an outstanding warrant in South Australia from 2015 when he was charged with illegal use and interference with a motor vehicle.
He is accused of breaching his bail and going on the run for five years.
Police prosecutor Mitchell Daly said Mitchell, of Brooklyn Park, had already been fined in Victoria for breaching COVID-19 restrictions.
The paper version of the fine was present in Mitchell’s car when he was arrested.
Mitchell’s lawyer argued that her client was not aware of the border restrictions.
She said he had seen the well-lit signs warning of the border checkpoint but, upon not seeing police at the crossing, continued into South Australia.
“Mr Mitchell was only in Victoria for a few weeks after living in New South Wales,” his lawyer said.
“He decided to come to South Australia to see his daughter. He is aware of the pandemic, however he wasn’t aware of the requirement in relation to entering South Australia.”
Mr Smart was less than impressed with the explanation.
“But what about the big signs at the border?” he said.
“Has he been living under a rock this whole time?”
Martin, of Osborne, had been released from serving a term of imprisonment for unspecified offences last year and has prior convictions for driving dangerously to escape police pursuit.
Mr Smart refused both men bail, citing the risk of reoffending and the seriousness of the alleged offending.
They will appear in court again in August.
Last week three Victorians were arrested in South Australia for breaching border restrictions in Mawson Lakes.
It comes as South Australia recorded its third coronavirus case in two days, a man in his 40s who recently returned from Victoria. The number of coronavirus cases in Victoria continues to cause concern, recording its worst day on Wednesday when 484 cases were identified.
Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said the two men would be tested and the results would be available “very quickly”.
“We have a very quick turnaround time. We’ve also got a lot of testing stations now at the border,” she told ABC Radio Adelaide.
“If it’s positive then we would do our normal contact tracing and work out who would be close contacts.”
Meanwhile, another 55 repatriated Australians arrived in Adelaide on-board a Malaysian Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur last night. The flight touched down around 6.15pm, and the guests were taken to an Adelaide hotel for 14 days’ quarantine.