Why removalists who sparked Covid scare spared jail

A magistrate has revealed the key reason three removalists who sparked a Covid-19 scare in NSW have avoided time behind bars.

The three western Sydney removalists who sparked a Covid-19 scare in central NSW have avoied being sent to jail because of a language barrier.

Twin brothers Ramsin and Roni Shawka and their colleague Maryo Shanki fronted Orange Local Court on Wednesday.

They each pleaded guilty to breaching the state’s public health orders in July.

Magistrate David Day said while they did not infect any local residents during their ill-fated trip, their actions posed an “extreme risk” to the community.

Several days after they returned to Sydney, the Shawka brothers’ mother died inside her Green Valley home due to Covid-19.

Roni Shawka received a call from NSW Health while on the trip to central NSW. Picture: Instagram.

Ramsin Shawka was on Wednesday convicted and fined inside the Orange Local Court. Picture: Facebook.

The trio were working for a Sydney removal company and had been tasked with moving a family’s furniture from Wollongong to Molong, near Orange, in Central NSW on July 16.

During the journey from their homes in western Sydney, Roni received a phone call from a NSW Health official telling him he had tested positive for Covid-19.

However, Roni, who had immigrated to Australia from Iraq with his family, could not understand the message due to his limited English skills, the court heard.

Their boss received a phone call from NSW Health, who passed on the message to Roni.

However instead of turning around, they continued on their journey and unloaded the truck at Molong, stopping at Bowenfels and Orange along the way.

During the course of the morning, the other men in the truck also received phone calls telling them they had tested positive.

When officers - acting on a tip-off from NSW Health - arrived at the property, they found the removalists inside the cabin before they were escorted back to Sydney.

Police outside the Green Valley the mother of Roni and Ramsin Shawka after she died due to Covid-19. Picture: 9 News.

The owners of the furniture, the police and their families were ordered to isolate and get tested.

The police vehicle also had to undergo a deep clean at a cost of $2000.

“There was no Covid-19 transmission from the defendants but the risk was extreme,” Mr Day said.

“The subsequent spread of Covid-19 into NSW particularly at Dubbo and Wilcannia demonstrates how extreme the risk was.”

Their solicitor Greg Goold argued that the three men should not be sent to jail because they did not understand the directions given to them due to the language barrier.

In September, they pleaded guilty to not complying with a noticed direction because they failed to turn around when they received a positive Covid-19 result.

They were facing up to six months in jail and an $11,000 fine.

Mr Day convicted the trio and sentenced them each to a 12-month community corrections order as well as fining them $1100.

They were also ordered to pay $2000 compensation to NSW Police to pay for the cleaning of the police car.

“If the men had a better grasp of English I would have had no hesitation in sending them to jail,” Mr Day said.