James Liske denies breaching COVID rules after video of him berating cop goes viral
A man who filmed himself berating a cop undertaking a COVID compliance check has made another spectacle of himself outside a local court when the camera was turned on him.
Illawarra Star
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A man who filmed himself and his partner refusing coronavirus compliance checks from police is fighting allegations he broke self-isolation requirements.
James Liske, from Kiama on the south coast of NSW, posted a video to Facebook of he and his 37-year-old partner berating a police officer who was trying to conduct a compliance check after they’d returned from Victoria.
The now-viral video showed the 36-year-old and his partner refusing to open the door for the cop, asking him for his name and “insurance policy number”.
Liske accuses the police officer of trespassing on his property, saying “I‘m going to go after you personally. Not the NSW Police”.
Prior to the video, Liske and his partner were granted Category A permits from Service NSW and travelled through the Hume Highway checkpoint at Albury, where they were made aware of the requirements to self-isolate for 14 days at their residential address.
Police conducted compliance checks at the Kiama address on July 14, July 15 and July 21, and provided information about self-isolation requirements on each occasion.
It’s alleged the couple, who were required to remain at their residential address with their two children until July 26, left the home on several occasions between July 20 and 22.
The matter was reported to police and an investigation was launched by officers from Lake Illawarra Police District.
Following inquiries, police confirmed the couple had each been fined $1000 and Liske was ordered to attend court on Tuesday for failing to comply with public health directions.
Liske pleaded not guilty to the charge at Kiama Local Court on Tuesday, telling Magistrate Mark Douglass he had a medical condition.
A hearing date was set down for March 2, 2021, which Liske told the court was giving him “a lot of anxiety”.
Outside court, the 37-year-old accused the media of “harassing” him, as he tried to side step and run from cameras, telling journalists they were breaking social distancing rules.