Quarantine dodger Asher Vander Sanden testifies former partner was involved in the scheme to sneak her into WA

A woman who hid in a truck to cross a state border and dodged hotel quarantine has testified that her partner was involved in the scheme and ‘begged’ her to take the fall.

A woman who snuck into Western Australia in a truck then failed to quarantine has become emotional while testifying about the alleged involvement of her partner at the time, claiming he “begged” her to take the fall.

Shaun Pilmer is on trial in Perth Magistrates Court charged with failing to comply with a direction.

His former partner Asher Vander Sanden, 29, had travelled to Victoria last year to visit her struggling sister for one month and was granted an exemption to fly back to WA, but was told she must undergo hotel quarantine.

Instead, she requested a lift from a truck driver in Mildura on July 31 and hid as they passed through the border.

Ms Vander Sanden, who accepted responsibility for her crime, was previously sentenced and it is alleged Mr Pilmer knew about her quarantine requirements when he picked her up at a petrol station.

She testified on Thursday that after her first G2G Pass application was rejected, she reapplied but was worried about airlines grounding flights.

“I was freaking out … my life is in WA,” she said.

Asher Vander Sanden snuck into WA in a truck to avoid mandatory hotel quarantine. Credit: Facebook

Ms Vander Sanden said Mr Pilmer arranged for truck driver Phillip Andrew Lapworth to pick her up in Mildura.

But in that time Ms Vander Sanden’s second G2G Pass application was granted, so she planned to catch a flight home instead.

It was only after an issue with a taxi that caused her to miss the flight that she decided to join Mr Lapworth, she said.

“I was alone, and I was stuck, and I was stranded, and I just wanted to go home,” she said.

Ms Vander Sanden said Mr Pilmer was not taking her calls because he was angry at her for “messing him around” and wasting his time.

She called Mr Lapworth and he agreed to pick her up at a car park in Mildura.

Ms Vander Sanden said she was desperate at the time and “had a whole life to get back to”.

Mr Pilmer eventually called her back and allegedly told her she needed to do as she was told and she would be OK.

The journey home took about four or five days, during which she hid so they could pass through checkpoints, then Mr Pilmer picked her up at a Midland petrol station.

They drove to her home in Ascot, where they stayed for a couple of days, then went to a home in Scarborough.

Ms Vander Sanden said she had sent Mr Pilmer a screen grab of her G2G Pass that explained she needed to undergo hotel quarantine.

But she claimed the evidence was destroyed when her phone was smashed.

Ms Vander Sanden said she wanted to turn herself in to police. Picture: Matt Jelonek / Getty Images

She said it took her five days to convince Mr Pilmer that she should hand herself in to police because he told her she would be “ruining two people’s lives” if she went to the authorities.

“He was psychologically screwing with my head,” she said.

At one point he was even crying and begging her to take the blame, she added.

After they contacted a lawyer, they agreed to phone the police, although Ms Vander Sanden could not remember who made the call.

“I wanted to hand myself in from the start. I wasn’t allowed to,” she testified.

“He had to be in control of the whole thing.”

Ms Vander Sanden, who said she knew she had done the wrong thing, was originally sentenced to six months and one day in prison, but successfully appealed the decision.

She was re-sentenced to a six-month community based order, meaning she had to complete 50 hours of community service and report to a community corrections officer.

At times, Ms Vander Sanden appeared to be on the verge of tears during her testimony.

She conceded she felt betrayed when Mr Pilmer broke up with her after the incident because she “took the fall for everything”.

In her closing address, the police prosecutor said Ms Vander Sanden had “fallen on her sword” and was a credible witness.

But the defence counsel argued she was unreliable and the principal offender.

She also had a “vindictive motive to rope him (Mr Pilmer) into it” the lawyer added.

The magistrate will deliver his verdict next Thursday and Mr Pilmer will remain on bail in the meantime.

After her testimony, Ms Vander Sanden told the media it was an overwhelming experience and she felt anxious.

Mr Lapworth was previously sentenced to seven months in prison, suspended for 12 months, over his role.

Originally published as Quarantine dodger Asher Vander Sanden testifies former partner was involved in the scheme to sneak her into WA