Kelly Anne Bowman: I’m a Celebrity makeup artist to be sentenced for Covid-19 breaches

A makeup artist on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here who travelled to Byron and Tweed while Covid-positive has been sentenced for the action which led to a lockdown.

A makeup artist who travelled to Byron and Tweed to work on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here while positive with Covid-19 has avoided a criminal conviction.

Kelly Anne Bowman previously pleaded guilty to five counts of failing to comply with electronic registration directive.

A former charge of not complying with permit conditions against the 32-year-old was dropped on her last appearance in Tweed Heads Local Court.

According to police, the Rushcutters Bay woman had been permitted to travel to the Northern Rivers under a work exemption to work on the reality TV show filmed in the Tweed hinterland while strict Covid-19 restrictions were in place.

While there between September 18 and 19, 2021 she failed check in at Combi Byron Bay, Salt & Pepper Wanderlust Byron Bay, Assembly Label Byron Bay, Rowie Byron Bay and Salt Cellars Kingscliff.

Kelly Bowman has been sentenced for breaching Covid-19 requirements.

At the time she was positive with Covid-19.

Following her positive test, Byron and Tweed local government areas went into a seven day lockdown.

Bowman appeared by AVL next to her lawyer Michael Hempsall in Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Val Short told the court it would be difficult to accept Bowman would be unaware of her requirements to check in due to all of the advertisements and media around the requirements.

Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy agreed there had been an almost “saturated” amount of public information regarding Covid-19 requirements.

He accepted Bowman was following other residents of Byron who were not checking into venues or wearing masks.

“Unfortunately Byron Bay is in a part of the world where many, many people are in denial as to the existence of impact of Covid-19,” Mr Dunlevy said.

“You should have acquainted yourself with that… and not just gone with the flow.”

He did not accept an argument that Bowman had suffered extra curial punishment due to media coverage and public criticism, however accepted public hatred was disproportionate to the offending.

He said Bowman’s prior good character, frank admissions, early pleas, lack of criminal history, remorse and unlikeliness to offend again along with the impact of a criminal conviction were reasons for her not to be convicted.

As a result Bowman was sentenced to a two year conditional release order without conviction.