Cops dish COVID fines on shisha pipe smokers in Sydney apartment
Four people in a Sydney hotel room with a shisha pipe and an “adult entertainer” are among dozens of people handed $1000 fines for Easter weekend breaches of COVID-19 isolation laws. HERE ARE ALL THE FINES
NSW Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Four people in a hotel room with a shisha pipe and an “adult entertainer” are among dozens of people handed $1000 fines for Easter weekend breaches of COVID-19 isolation laws.
Police were called to a noise complaint in the Parramatta serviced apartment about 12.30pm Sunday to find seven people inside.
“Police found smoke pipes inside and will allege the smoke alarms had been removed. A 25-year-old woman had also attended as an adult entertainer,” police said in a statement.
Four people – two men aged 19 and 22 and two women aged 20 and 30 – were fined.
After the weekend blitz police said they had handed out 464 fines in total and 57 court attendance notices since they were handed new enforcement powers on March 17.
A 22-year-old was also fined and handed a string of criminal charges after he allegedly rammed a police car twice after he was caught speeding through Homebush West around 2.30am Sunday.
Canley Vale man was also fined when Leichhardt allegedly saw him trying to get on a fully marked police motorbike at the corner of Glebe Point Rd and Greater Western Hwy on Friday morning.
Police also returned to coronavirus hot spots in the eastern suburbs to enforce social distancing, including Centennial Park to ensure people there to exercise rather than gather in groups.
MOONER AND WEEKEND ‘CHILLERS’ FINED
A woman who mooned the light rail, a man who went fishing more than an hour away from home and a group of people “chilling out” with drugs are just some of the 283 people issued with fines for breaching self-isolation measures over the Easter long weekend.
Since the state government cracked down on non-essential travel and public loitering on March 17 police have issued 57 court attendance notices and 464 penalty infringement notices of the public health.
From Friday night, 23 people have been charged and 283 others fined related to ignoring COVID-19 restrictions.
One of the largest fines was issued to a 47-year-old Newcastle woman who will be forced to pay $5,000 after she allegedly mooned the light rail, near Hunter St, on Saturday night at 9pm.
Officers who caught her in the act contacted NSW Ambulance paramedics for help as they were concerned for her welfare.
READ THE LIST OF FINES BELOW
When trying to load her into an ambulance the woman allegedly spat at a paramedic twice.
A short time later, police in Sydney, attached to Liverpool City Police Area Command watched a group of men and women lingering around a car about 9.30pm on Saturday.
Officers went to speak to the 46-year-old man and the 55-year-old woman standing outside the vehicle on Lyell Pl, Cartwright before noticing four other occupants in the car.
Three men, aged 25, 41, and 43, and a 36-year-old woman claimed to be “chilling out”.
After a quick search of the car, police seized heroin, ice, and drug paraphernalia. The 41-year-old man and the 46-year-old man were issued Court Attendance Notices for drug offences, and all six were issued with $1000 PINs before being moved on.
On Friday evening, officers from Lake Macquarie Police District went to Rocky Point Rd, Eraring after complaints about a lack of social distancing between fishermen.
Police spoke to about 30 people at the location with many leaving a short time later.
However a 34-year-old Punchbowl man, who lives an hour-and-forty minutes south of the fishing spot, refused to leave and told officers he would keep dangling a line.
He was issued a $1,000 fine and told to move on.
OTHER FINES
FINES ISSUED AT PARTIES
Where - Parramatta
When - Saturday
What happened?
Police arrived at a Parramatta serviced apartment complex after receiving noise complaints, about 12.30am (Sunday 12 April 2020). Police had stumbled on a party with a topless dancer, shishas and seven people. Four people, two men, aged 19 and 22, and two women, aged 20 and 30, were each issued $1000 PINs. The 25-year-old topless dancer was not fined.
Where -South Grafton
When – Friday
What happened?
Police were called to a loud party on Bligh St. On their arrival the partygoers ran off and officers spoke to three men, two of which were owners of the home, about the public health act. Later that morning police found the three men, aged 18, 25 and 27, drinking on the street. After an argument where the 25-year-old man refused to go home, all were issued with $1,000 fines.
Where – Byron Bay
When – Saturday
What happened?
Around 2.30pm officers from Tweed and Byron Police district went to a holiday apartment on Lawson St after reports of parties. The male resident, 33, told police he had booked the room to self-isolate but had invited people over to visit. The two women, aged 34 and 24, had travelled from Victoria. All three were issued with $1,000 fines.
Where – Nowra
When – Friday
What happened?
Police went to a hotel on Kinghorne St around 3.30am after reports of a brawl that had spilt out to the carpark. Officers spoke with four men, aged 20 and 21 and two aged 23, and two women, aged 23 and 21, who denied there was a fight. Police then found one man had booked the room under the guise of “work” but had invited the other people to drink. All five people were issued with $1,000 fines.
Where – Saturday
What happened?
Operation coronavirus police went to a hotel on Jamieson St, after reports there was a party being held. Officers watched two men and a woman leaving the hotel. A short time later, one of the men and the woman returned. They were spoken to by police and the man told not to invite other people over. The woman was given a move-on order and the man told to return to his room. Shortly after police searched the room and found the drug ice in his sock. He was issued with a $1,000 fine and a court attendance notice.
PEOPLE FINED IN POSSESSION OF DRUGS
Where – Port Macquarie
When – Saturday
What happened?
Police on the mid-north coast stopped a white Subaru Liberty on Boatswain Lane, about 3.50pm on Saturday. Officers spoke to the driver, a 26-year-old man, and his two passengers, a 23-year-old man and 19-year-old woman, who could not provide a reasonable excuse for being out of the house. Both men had been given a warning the night before. Police searched the car where they found methylamphetamine allegedly in a handbag. All three issued $1,000 fines and the woman was issued a court attendance notice.
Where – Byron Bay
When – Saturday
What happened?
After calls about a woman’s welfare officers from Tweed Byron Police District found the 45-year-old lady slumped over the steering wheel of a car on Johnson St. Police helped her from the car and found the drug ice and other paraphernalia. During a search of her handbag officers located cards under the names of various people, $1850 cash, drug ledgers and a knife. Inquiries also proved the woman had recently travelled to Queensland. She was fined $1,000 and issued a court attendance notice.
Where – Sydney
When – Friday
What happened?
Officers from the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command went to an apartment block on Glenview St, Paddington, after reports of an unknown man in the common laundry area. While speaking to the 47-year-old man, he dropped a syringe. This prompted the attending officers to search him finding the drug ice and a healthcare card in someone else’s name. He was fined $1,000 and issued with a court attendance notice.
PEOPLE FINED ON HOLIDAY
WHERE - Leichhardt
WHEN - Friday
What happened?
A 48-year-old Canley man tried to get on a fully marked police motorcycle parked at the intersection of Glebe Point Road and Great Western Highway, about 8.20pm on Friday. Police gave him a $1000 fine.
Where – Sandon, Northern Rivers
When – Saturday
What happened?
Following reports of holiday-makers heading to the area for Easter officers from the Coffs Harbour Clarence Police district went to the remote village of Sandon. They spoke to a 53-year-old man and his 51-year-old wife who claimed to be in the area for two weeks. Police quickly established the couple had only arrived two days earlier and were told to return to their Lennox Head home.
Where – Falls Creek
When – Saturday
What happened?
Police issued $1,000 fines to five young men, aged 16, two 17-year-olds, 18 and 25, after being pulled over on the Princes Highway. Officers discovered the men had planned to go camping together before finding them.