Mitchell William Bulsey granted bail for breaching strict biosecurity laws and drug offences

A North Queensland man who has been charged for breaking strict quarantine rules when he was intercepted by police on the way to Palm Island has been granted bail.

Townsville Water Police arrest four men who allegedly broke strict biosecurity laws by entering to Palm Island. Picture: Alix Sweeney

A NORTH Queensland man charged for breaking strict quarantine rules when he was intercepted by police on the way to Palm Island has been granted bail.

Mitchell William Bulsey, alongside four other men, are charged with breaching the Biosecurity Act and Chief Health Officer Queensland Direction, after they allegedly drove a boat back to the island from Townsville.

Four of the men arrived in Townsville from Palm Island on the Brett Irwin Water Police boat just after 7pm on Friday, and were marched off, one by one, by police while wearing face masks.

Bulsey has also been charged with two counts of possessing a dangerous drug and two counts of supplying dangerous drugs.

Townsville Water Police arrest four men who allegedly broke strict biosecurity laws by entering to Palm Island. Picture: Alix Sweeney

A police affidavit that was prepared on April 3, 2020 opposed bail for Bulsey explaining there were risks he would reoffend and fail to appear.

It was recommended that Bulsey should remain in custody for his own welfare.

Magistrate Scott Luxton disagreed with the proposal.

“It is true that the defendant has prior history but there is some age to those matters and more recent times the defendant, when subjected to bail, has been fully compliant,” he said.

“In this instance, the height for the concern is for the residents of the Palm Island community and those matters can be addressed in the way of strict bail conditions.”

The Townsville Magistrates Court heard Bulsey had undergone a COVID-19 test that returned a negative result.

Magistrate Luxton ordered Bulsey to be released on bail yesterday, on the condition he resided at his Cranbrook property and adhere to a curfew of 6pm to 6am.

Bulsey is prohibited to enter, remain or reside at Palm Island or the Palm Island group while biosecurity restrictions are in place and cannot enter or remain on a boat, vessel or any craft.

The matter will return to court in July.

Originally published as Mitchell William Bulsey granted bail for breaching strict biosecurity laws and drug offences