James Galea: Lismore pool cleaner charged with Covid breaches

A young Lismore man was peer pressured to take part in an illegal party at the height of the Covid pandemic, a court has heard.

A Ballina magistrate has lambasted an East Lismore man who breached Covid-19 rules to party, saying the man’s “youthfully stupid” attitude could have seen him face the full extent of the law.

James Galea, 23, faced Ballina Local Court on Monday pleading guilty to two counts of not obeying Covid-19 orders; damage property; negligent driving; taking and driving a car without the owner’s consent; and not displaying P plates.

The court heard Galea’s two Covid breaches related to attending a friend’s Dunoon party held in the middle of the pandemic on September 9 last year.

Galea’s solicitor Vince Boss said his friend told police “no one was meant to be there” to protect himself from Covid-19 infringements and Galea was subsequently charged.

“(It was) effectively false information provided to police to avoid Covid fines,” he told the court.

Mr Boss said Galea’s actions were “youthfully stupid” and influenced by peer pressure.

“Particularly in that period of time where people were under Covid restrictions … it was a very immature thing to do to go out to another person’s place,” he said.

“I would ask Your Honour to accept the circumstances of immaturity.”

James Galea was sentenced in Ballina Local Court on Monday. Picture: Nicholas Rupolo.

The court heard the driving charges related to Galea driving a car with friends into a brick wall in February 21 and events following on from the party.

After the September 4 party, Galea had been travelling in a stolen van along James Rd, Dunoon when he ran into an Essential Energy pole, snapping the pole in half, according to court documents.

Magistrate John Mcintosh said Galea needed to be checked “to see if (he was) a fit and proper person to hold a licence before (he) killed someone”.

“Clearly he’s got an alcohol problem,” Mr Mcintosh said to Mr Boss.

Galea, a former pool cleaner, had been impacted by flooding and “like many others” would struggle to find work in the aftermath, Mr Boss said.

Mr Mcintosh said Galea’s actions “showed total disregard for the health of the community” upon sentence.

The court heard a maximum penalty for Covid breaches was six months imprisonment.

Mr McIntosh said he would deal with Galea in a judicial fashion rather than personal views.

“When the country was being brought to its knees by Covid, I’d be sitting at home reading all the stats … about people breaching Covid-19 rules and would say ‘lock them up and throw away the key’,” he said.

“And here you are, you breached the rules twice.”

Galea was convicted on all counts and ordered to a 12 month community corrections order for the two Covid-19, damage property and take and drive conveyance charges.

The order will expire on March 20,2023.

Mr McIntosh ordered Galea also pay a $500 fine for those charges.

For his negligent driving offences he was ordered to pay a $600 fine and a $275 fine for not displaying his P plates.