‘Chuck a uee’: Cristal Archer sentenced after leaking Covid tips to now ex-boyfriend

A health worker who leaked Covid secrets to her now ex-boyfriend has been sentenced in Darwin Local Court.

A WOMAN who leaked confidential Border Force information to her boyfriend to help his drug-dealing mate dodge the cops will walk free on a suspended sentence.

Cristal Maree Archer, 37, appeared in Darwin Local Court on Friday after pleading guilty to disclosing confidential information while working with Border Force.

The court heard Archer was an authorised officer with the Department of Health working with the border control unit when she started leaking confidential information.

Over the course of a month Archer sent secrets to her then-boyfriend, who forwarded onto a man on the run from NT Covid cops.

Her lawyer, Peter Maley, said she knew the information was being sent to her partner’s friend to evade police after an illegal border jumping incident around September.

But Mr Maley said Archer did not know that he was a drug dealer.

Prosecutors said her actions helped him escape police and remain undetected in the community.

Earlier the court heard the texts included advice to hire a rental car and to “chuck a uee” when he neared border patrols.

Mr Maley said Archer was “caught up in the investigation” when her texts were found on her then-boyfriend’s phone.

Archer also pressured a family member to breach health measures in an unrelated incident on September 15.

The court heard phone records showed the family member was concerned the advice would put Archer’s job in danger, however the Darwin woman dismissed these concerns.

Cristal Maree Archer, 37, arrives at Darwin Local Court on Friday November 12. Picture: Zizi Averill

On Friday, prosecutor Shontelle Samuel said there were similarities between this incident and the cause of the latest NT lockdown.

Ms Samuel said the Border Force team member had “jeopardised” the safety of the community by helping the man who had been to a Queensland Covid hotspot.

But, Mr Maley warned against a sentence influenced by the “topical” and “emotional” issues of Covid border security, given the latest NT lockdown.

Mr Maley said Archer was unaware of the severity of these breaches, saying there was “inadequate” training in her role relating to the Border Force team.

“She’s not an anti-vaxxer … she just didn’t take it seriously,” he said.

However Judge Thomasin Opie said Archer was given a position of trust to protect the community, which she completely disregarded.

Mr Maley said this was the former government worker, now bottle-shop employee’s first time in trouble with the law.

He said the reputational damage for her offending meant she was “living with the consequences of what she did”.

But Ms Samuel said the 37-year-old should have known better, saying “she has done this to herself”.

Archer pleaded guilty to two counts of disclosing confidential information and one count of inciting the contravention of a health order.

Ms Opie said while it was unlikely Archer would reoffend, her betrayal of trust was serious.

Archer was given a 12-month suspended sentence.