‘It’s incredibly frustrating’: More than dozen people fined or arrested after house party during lockdown

SA’s top cop has hit out at more than a dozen people who were allegedly caught breaching the state’s lockdown rules by having a house party.

A group of 13 people have “incredibly frustrated” the state’s top cop after they were allegedly busted breaching South Australia’s lockdown rules by having a house party.

Officers were called to the Waterford Circuit home at Lightsview after they received reports at about 11.30pm on Sunday that more than 12 people were at the address where loud music was coming from.

When police arrived, they allegedly found 13 people at the property, which violated the state’s Covid-19 stay-at-home direction.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens on Monday said it was the third time officers were called to the property, which was why the night ended with five arrests and eight people being fined.

Officers also attended the home on July 21 and 24 — the lockdown order came into effect on July 20 — which also ended in arrests and expiation notices being issued.

“Obviously we’ve taken a very low-tolerance approach to these people who simply haven’t heeded the warnings they’ve been given and they’ve suffered the consequences as a result,” Mr Stevens said.

“It’s incredibly frustrating, and it’s not so much my personal frustration. I think everybody else doing the right thing in SA should be really disappointed in the fact that some people think these rules don’t apply to them.”

The Commissioner, who is also the state co-ordinator, said he couldn’t be certain those people had learnt a lesson, but reassured the public police would keep a watchful eye on the accused.

Five people have been arrested and eight have been fined after a party was held at a Waterford Circuit home at Lightsview overnight. Picture: Hannah Foord / 7NEWS

As a result of the third police attendance, a 24-year-old man from the Lightsview address, a 29-year-old Torrensville woman and an 18-year-old Fairview Park woman were all arrested and each charged with stating false details and breaching the Emergency Management Act.

The fourth person arrested was a 24-year-old Salisbury North man who was charged with hindering police as well as breaching Covid-19 directions.

There was also a 19-year-old Fairview Park woman who was arrested and charged with breaching the same Act.

All five of the accused are due to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court in September.

Two other male occupants of the home, one aged 27 and the other 21, were fined for breaching directions while a further six people, aged 18 to 24 and who did not live at the address, were all issued expiation notices and directed to go home.

SA Police said they had conducted numerous compliance checks on people during the lockdown, particularly in the north eastern suburbs, where the Covid-19 cluster broke out.

“Police wish to reassure the community that patrols have found the overwhelming majority of people are doing the right thing,” it said in a statement.

Individuals who breach Covid-19 directions can be fined up to $1060, but those who are arrested for breaching lockdown or restriction rules could be served harsher penalties – fines of up to $20,000 and/or two years’ jail if found guilty.