Yoga teacher charged with Covid breach after helping friends with repairs

A south coast yoga teacher charged with breaching Covid rules has told the court of the “hard situation” she was in during lockdown while living out of her van.

A south coast woman charged with breaching Covid lockdown laws late last year has been told by a magistrate she was “doing it tough”.

Rachel Woodcroft pleaded guilty to breaching Covid compliance rules in September 2021 at Batemans Bay Local Court on April 11.

The south coast yoga teacher told the court she was unaware she was breaching lockdown laws when she answered a call from friends for help in repairing a tractor.

Woodcroft, who was living in a van at the time, said she had set up camp with her partner and two other people at a property near Runnyford so that her partner could help repair the tractor, and did not have any intention of staying the night.

But, when it became clear parts had to be sourced, Woodcroft was told by Magistrate Dick she breached Covid rules by setting up lights, tables, and chairs between motorhomes on the property.

Covid-19 testing location at North Narrabeen. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Woodcroft told the court she had no intention of breaching the law.

“It was an honest misunderstanding from someone in a hard situation,” Woodward said.

“Living in a van without a property during lockdown was very stressful.”

Magistrate Dick was sympathetic to Woodcroft’s argument, stating that she was “living out of a van at a time when the whole country was panicking”.

“You were doing it tough in your van, but it was still an unlawful gathering,” Magistrate Dick said.

“Its everybody’s responsibility to know the law.

“Ignorance is no excuse.”

Magistrate Dick found Woodcroft guilty of not complying Covid directions, but did not record a conviction. She will serve a conditional release order for a period of two years.

Woodcroft said she had engaged police at the start of the lockdown about her living situation, having left her parents’ house due to a lack of space more than a year ago.