Souvlaki shop owners accused of flouting Covid-19 directions face court for the first time
The owners of a Darwin souvlaki shop accused of failing to comply with Covid-19 directions issued by the NT chief health officer have protested the charges against them, claiming they do not ‘accept’ or ‘understand’ them, in their first appearance before court today.
Northern Territory
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THE owners of a Darwin souvlaki shop accused of failing to comply with Covid-19 directions issued by the NT chief health officer have protested the charges against them, claiming they do not “accept” or “understand” them, while representing themselves in their first appearance before court.
The Souvlaki Grill and Chill owner Violet Kushbu Krishna, 31, appeared in the Darwin Local Court this morning charged with contravening an emergency declaration, following her arrest earlier this month for allegedly refusing to shut the doors of the Nightcliff business for noncompliance despite police orders to do so.
It also emerged in court that Ms Krishna’s husband and business partner Michael Stephen Tolios, 49, has since been charged with the same offence, as has their business entity Capital One (NT) Pty Ltd.
In an at-times heated court appearance, the self-represented Mr Tolios repeatedly told the court he hadn’t been charged and that, if he had, he didn’t understand the charge against him.
He also told judge Therese Austin neither he nor his wife had received any paperwork in relation to their charges, asked who his arresting police officer had been and queried whether the charge against the pair’s business was in fact a civil rather than criminal matter, which he was told it was not.
“I don’t accept or understand any of the charges,” he told the court.
“Everything has been done unlawfully.”
In an attempt to clarify the situation, prosecutor James O’Brien handed Mr Tolios a copy of the paperwork outlining the charge against him, but the defendant promptly gave it back to him.
Ms Austin assured Mr Tolios that he had been charged and told him that hiring a lawyer would be the best way to clear up any confusion about his case.
“That’s not my issue at the moment, Mr Tolios,” she said.
“You will need to get legal advice about the charge.
That’s what a lawyer is for. They will explain the charge to you. That’s their job. That’s why you need to get legal advice.”
When the pair were asked if they intended to get legal representation, Ms Krishna told the court she planned to hire a lawyer, while Mr Tolios said he “can’t answer that at the moment”.
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Ms Austin told the pair that if they planned to get legal representation they would need to bring their lawyers to their next court appearance.
Before leaving the courtroom, Mr Tolios also requested access to transcripts for his entire case, which he was told he would have to make an application for.
All three cases were adjourned to Wednesday, August 18 to allow the couple and their business to get legal advice and hire a lawyer if they choose to do so.
Police arrested Ms Krishna at her business on Thursday, July 8, in front of a handful of anti-mask protesters, after officers allegedly observed three staff members working without masks, customers not wearing masks and a lack of any Covid-19 check-in facilities on the premises.
The arrest took place during the week following the Greater Darwin area lockdown, when some Covid-19 prevention measures remained in place.
It came after the business was ordered to cease trading earlier that day and allegedly failed to do so.
The penalty for failing to abide by the NT chief health officer’s directions as authorised by section 56 of the Public and Environment Health Act 2011 is $5056 for an individual and $25,280 for a business.
Originally published as Souvlaki shop owners accused of flouting Covid-19 directions face court for the first time
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