The Pastoral Hotel Echuca owner Trevor Andrews starts fundraiser to pay lockdown fines

The owner of a small Victorian country pub, who was fined and charged for openly flouting lockdown, has started fundraising to pay off his hefty debt.

Publican Trevor Andrews is raising money to pay off his court costs and fines after flouting Covid lockdown rules. Picture: Bec Pilgrim

An Echuca pub owner, who was fined and charged for openly flouting lockdown, has started a fundraiser to pay off his hefty debt.

Publican Trevor Andrews from the Pastoral Hotel in Echuca was charged and arrested last week for opening his pub’s doors during the Victorian government’s fifth lockdown.

Mr Andrews claimed it was within his “constitutional right” to do so but has since racked up more than $20,000 in fines and been charged and bailed over the “blatant restriction breaches”.

On Wednesday he created a fundraising page, hoping to raise more than $25,000 to help pay off that debt.

“The Pastoral Hotel in Echuca opened during Victoria’s Lockdown 5.0 out of sheer desperation ... and did what so many haven’t had the courage to do and opened their doors to dine in patrons,” Mr Andrews said on his GoFundMe page.

“They have had minimal help from the Victorian government, nor do the Victoria government understand what people in these industries and small business are actually going through.”

Last week, Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said it was “absolutely within the power” of police to jail Mr Andrews.

“I’ve imposed the conditions that if he reopens again, my officers will arrest him and he will be taken before the court,” he said.

“And we would probably be asking for him to be remanded because he’s already been given conditions.

“It’s over three occasions. I mean, it’s just, it’s nonsense.”

[e-mail]