Melbourne man walks free from prison after breaching WA border rules

A Melbourne cocktail bar owner has been freed from a Perth prison after he and a mate breached strict border rules to attend the AFL grand final in September.

Hayden Burbank.

A Melbourne cocktail bar owner has been freed from a Perth prison after he and a mate breached strict border rules to attend the AFL grand final in September.

Hayden Burbank, 49, and financial planner Mark Babbage, 39, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with Emergency Management Act directions when they flew from Melbourne to Perth and did not complete a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine period.

Mr Burbank landed at Melbourne airport on Monday and apologised for his actions, the Herald Sun reported.

“We are deeply sorry for our selfish and stupid decisions we made,” Mr Burbank said.

“Even though we were both double-vaccinated before we left Melbourne, we both received a negative test result in Darwin before arriving in Perth.

“The time in jail has made us realise and understand the seriousness of our offending.”

Mr Burbank and Mr Babbage served three months in jail after they posted pictures to their social media accounts celebrating the Melbourne Demons’ victory in Perth.

Mr Burbank was pictured with midfielder Alex Neal-Bullen after the match inside the Demons change room.

The image was originally posted to the AFL’s Instagram page but it is understood Mr Burbank and Mr Babbage were not invited and did not travel with the Demons or the AFL to Perth.

The pair were arrested on September 28 in Bunker Bay, Naturaliste, about 260km southwest of Perth.

Mr Burbank also made several other apologies at Tullamarine airport on Monday.

“I’d like to apologise to the people of Western Australia and the Northern Territory for putting you and your state and territory at risk with our actions,” he said.

“I’d like to apologise to the healthcare workers Australia-wide, to the doctors and nurses who have put their lives on the line and worked tirelessly during the pandemic.

“We’d like to apologise to the friends of ours back home who work in healthcare. We know how hard you have worked and the sacrifices made throughout the pandemic.”