Coronavirus: Sydney man breached self-isolation order 3 times in 24 hours

A Sydney man who repeatedly breached isolation orders after returning from Jordan faces ‘the harshest penalties available’.

Sydney Police help to book in travellers over the weekend. Picture: John Grainger

A 30-year-old man who allegedly breached self-isolation orders three times on the weekend after his return from Jordan has been denied bail and ordered to undergo a mental health assessment by a magistrate,

Wearing a surgical mask, Matthew Adam Stephan faced Sydney’s Central Local Court on Monday on charges of breaching bail, not complying with the noticed public health order on COVID-19 and failing to comply with a public health order.

After hearing there were concerns for his mental health, magistrate Margaret Quinn ordered Mr Stephan be transported to St Vincent’s Hospital for a mental health assessment.

“If he’s not mentally ill, he’ll be brought back here tomorrow,” she said.

Mr Stephan flew back to Sydney on March 18 and was ordered to self-isolate for 14 days, but over the weekend he repeatedly breached the orders, forcing police to arrest him as he attempted to flee a NSW Health serviced apartment on Sunday.

NSW Police Minister David Elliot condemned the serial breaches as “an outrageous abuse of the community’s trust”.

“I would encourage the magistrate to consider the harshest options available,’ Mr Elliott said on Monday.

“I would also like part of his punishment to include forcing him to watch the footage of coffins being transported, en masse, by the military in Italy and Spain.”

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller faces the media on Monday along with Police Minister David Elliot and the state’s chief medical officer Dr Kerry Chant. Picture: AAP

Mr Stephan was picked up for a third time in 24 hours in Pitt Street in Sydney’s CBD and was initially granted conditional bail to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on May 6.

But due to his failure to self-isolate at his home address at Edensor Park, a public health order was also served upon him directing him to do so at a serviced apartment at Camperdown in Sydney’s inner west.

On Sunday he was taken by police to the Camperdown serviced apartment, run by NSW Health, but police allege he was seen attempting to flee the serviced apartments within minutes of arrival.

“As police were about to leave he was sighted in the basement telling NSW Health staff he was going back to his mum’s place,” a police source said.

Mr Stephan was immediately taken into custody and denied bail.

“It’s remarkable that anybody would risk the lives of their friends and family, especially when he had recently returned from the Middle East,” Mr Elliott said.

He said while most of the community were extremely grateful for the “extraordinary efforts of police who were trying to save people’s lives” police were having to endure being “spat on, ignored and abused” by some in the community who still didn’t seem to understand the fatal consequences of their behaviour.

In a separate incident, three infringements were issued after police uncovered a restaurant operating on George Street in Sydney overnight.

Additional reporting: AAP