NSW Covidiots: Paul Vaughan, Lihua Zhong lead the full list
Everyone has had to play their part in battling Covid. But there are those who are either too selfish or stupid to do their bit. Here’s our collection of NSW’s Covidiots.
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While the vast majority are doing the right thing to keep Covid at bay, there are those who flout the rules and potentially put us all in danger.
Among their number are elite athletes, anti-lockdown protesters, sex workers and even political candidates.
BOCSAR (Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research) statistics reveal there were 36,597 breaches of Covid public health orders in NSW between June 26 2021 and August 31 2021 alone.
Most of those breaches related to failing to comply with Ministerial directions (25,162 breaches; 68.8%), with 30 per cent of the breaches relating to failing to wear or carry a face mask/covering.
We are living in incredibly difficult times and the actions of these individuals is just making things harder.
These are NSW’s Covidiots.
Daniel Kennedy
Daniel Kennedy was jailed for his Covid breach after he went shopping at a supermarket without a mask when he knew that he was Covid positive.
Kennedy was jailed for 21 days and fined $1,000 dollars after shopping at the Wollongong CBD Woolworths on September 18, despite being in strict isolation after testing positive on September 8.
Kennedy has since been released from jail.
Full story here.
John Ruddick
A Liberal Democratic candidate for the seat of Warringah said the Sydney rally would be an “experiment” to see whether “corpses would pile up” after protesters marched without masks.
John Ruddick posted continuous videos and updates from the protest, calling NSW Police “b***** scum” and “liars”.
When NSW Police handed him a $1,000 fine for breaching Covid restrictions, Ruddick told his followers, “No problem – I’ll frame it and put it on the wall.”
Full story here.
Lihua Zhong
Sex worker Lihua Zhong pleaded guilty to breaking Covid rules and working at the Royal Asian Brothel at Rydalmere, where $12,500 worth of fines were issued after the public health orders were breached back in August.
Cumberland police swooped on the brothel after a tip off that it was still operating despite the public health orders.
The police fact sheet states that they first spoke with the brothel owner, Lihua Zhong, two other female employees and two male customers who were not wearing masks.
They state they then heard the sound of a shower coming from a room where they found Zhong in a bathrobe with a man.
The six adults initially denied the business was operating, with one man stating he was quoting for painting works, and the other was visiting his girlfriend.
The group was then advised they would each receive a fine for not wearing face masks.
After midnight on August 31, police saw Zhong walking towards Euston Street while smoking a cigarette and when approached she told police she was returning to the brothel.
She was arrested and taken to Granville police station, where she was charged with not complying with a curfew in an area of concern and not wearing a fitted face covering in an indoor area of common property.
She pleaded guilty on October 19. She was not convicted but given a conditional release order for six months.
Full story here.
James Desmond Murphy
James Murphy was convicted in December 2020 for not complying with a Covid direction, failing to leave when required, using offensive language in public, intimidating police and intimidation.
Court documents said that Murphy went to the Ivory Tavern in Tweed Heads on August 10, 2020 when he refused to provide ID or sign into the COVID-19 safe tracking app and then intimidated and threatened the manager.
When asked to leave, Murphy called the manager “a soft c***” and according to court documents said “If someone is going to kick me out it will need to be by force and it will be a tough morning for those f****** dogs.”
Murphy eventually left the pub and was in the car park when police arrived where he again refused to give his name or any ID when asked, and became aggressive and abusive towards officers.
The court heard that Murphy had threatened to “cave in” the head of one of the officers and threatened to “kill” those officers in attendance.
He was sentenced to a concurrent nine-month fixed-term sentence yet was granted parole on appeal, having served four-months in jail already prior being granted bail in December 2020.
Full story here.
Paul Vaughan
Former St George Illawarra Dragons prop Paul Vaughan copped the full force of the NRL administration when he hosted a barbecue at his Shellharbour home in July which breached Covid restrictions. It was also a direct breach of NRL’s biosecurity rules.
Vaughan was sacked by the Dragons and slapped with a $50,000 fine by the NRL. He was also handed a $1,000 Penalty Infringement Notice by NSW Police.
Full story here.
Jayda Eid
A St Mary’s woman received a tongue lashing from a Blacktown Magistrate after she turned up to an anti-lockdown protest outside the Blacktown Council chambers.
When stopped by police at the protest she told them, “I was never personally served the Health Order, so I do not have to comply with it.”
Magistrate Fiona McCarron told Eid in court, “You think every individual would be served a health order?
“Have you ever been served with a don’t take a prohibited substance order? No? Exactly. Absolutely breathtaking. You are so selfish.”
Eid was charged for failing to comply with notice direction – Covid and unlawfully participating in an outdoor public gathering- area of concern.
She was handed a $1,000 fine and a 12 month Community Corrections order.
Full story here.
Allan Omer
Allan Omer found himself in Downing Centre Local Court after resisting an officer, failing to comply with police directions and defying Covid public health orders.
The out-of-work landscaper said he tried to save a rainbow lorikeet at an anti-lockdown protest just moments before he was arrested by police.
His solicitor Robert Kaufmann told the court that Omer maintains he was not involved in any violence at the protest and in fact was trying to save a bird when the protest turned violent.
Omer was fined $660 and sentenced to a 12-month conditional release order without conviction.
Full story here.
Saimon Tuinukuafe Fasi
Saimon Tuinukuafe Fasi was the first person in NSW to be sent to prison for breaching Covid restrictions.
Fasi was sentenced to two weeks in prison after he was arrested twice within hours on the northern beaches for failing to comply with the Public Health Act.
On April 2, and on April 3, he was warned by police that he was in breach of both the Covid isolating regulations and notices, banning him from an apartment complex.
On the evening of April 4 he turned up once again to the apartment complex and got into a heated argument with a passer-by before lighting a cigarette.
He was arrested and charged with trespassing and failing to comply with the Covid regulations and given police bail.
The following day he once again returned to the same complex early on the morning of April 5, where he was once again arrested with this time his bail being refused.
In Manly Court on April 7 he was jailed for two weeks for not complying with notice/direction (COVID-19) and was fined $500 for entering enclosed lands.
Full story here.
Craig Thompson
Craig Stewart Thompson, 54, lunged at pharmacy staff with broken glass in a shocking and unprovoked attack during his Covid vaccination appointment.
He faced court after his assault on August 20 at Pharmacy4Less Jesmond.
In documents tendered to the court, police said Thompson began yelling and swearing at a 17-year-old worker “for no apparent reason” after she asked him for his contact details.
Customers and other workers tried to help the staff member asking Thompson to leave.
Police said “he pushed another worker in the chest and then swung his bag of bottles at him”. The bag of bottles fell to the ground and Thompson picked up a bottle off the ground and threw it at the worker with force.
He then lunged with the glass towards the worker’s stomach before abruptly pulling back and stopping himself.
CCTV of the assault shows Thompson kicking and swinging at staff until they were able to close a door.
All the time he was not properly wearing a face mask, prompting police to also charge him with not complying with the public health order.
For the affray and public health order breach, Thompson was sentenced to a total 15 months behind bars with a non-parole period of eight months. With time served on remand Thompson is eligible for release in April, 2020.
Full story here.
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