Aydan George Thomas Wyse fined for entering Airlie Beach after public nuisance ban
An anti-rubbish crusader who hasn’t needed to work in five years found himself in hot water after he handed out flowers to late night support workers in the Whitsundays. Read what happened when he appeared in court.
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A nature-loving nomad found himself in hot water after he breached a banning order to hand out flowers to late night support workers in the Whitsundays.
Aydan George Thomas Wyse appeared in Proserpine Magistrates Court after police found him on Main Street, Airlie Beach just after midnight on December 5 despite a month-long banning notice.
The court heard the 35 year old was banned from the Airlie Beach Safe Night Precinct for 30 days for being a public nuisance on December 3.
He pleaded guilty to contravening the police banning notice and admitted he was aware he could not be in the precinct at the time, but had wanted to give women working for the Rest and Recovery service some flowers.
“I was actually just walking through [town] and I noticed the water ladies there and I had some flowers and I just thought I’d give them some flowers and say thanks,” he said.
Wearing a frangipani behind his ear, Wyse told the court he picked flowers from the roadside or, with permission, from people’s gardens.
He said he was originally from Yamba, New South Wales, but had no fixed address or paid work for the past five years, and spent his days “walking from town to town” collecting roadside rubbish and relying on Centrelink and the kindness of strangers to get by.
He said he made his way to Airlie Beach two years ago and stayed because his Reiki master lived there, but planned to move on to Yeppoon, Rockhampton and Agnes Water in the near future.
“I do it for free to show people what you can do with nothing,” he said of his anti-rubbish crusade.
“I haven’t had to sleep on the side of the roads most of the times – hotels or restaurants ask me to come and stay with them and backpackers’ and that.
“It’s been pretty good, they give me some new shoes.”
Magistrate James Morton commended Wyse for his “good efforts for the country” but said “regardless of what the ladies like or what they need or what they want, you’re not supposed to be in that area.”
“Regardless of what you feel, you’re not supposed to do that,” he said.
Wyse was fined $150 and a conviction was recorded.
After attending the registry, Wyse re-entered the courtroom to tell Mr Morton a man he met outside had taken care of his legal costs.
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Originally published as Aydan George Thomas Wyse fined for entering Airlie Beach after public nuisance ban
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