Trent Reeve spent 15 days locked up after climbing out the window to get a Subway

A Queensland man spent more time in a Tassie jail than in hotel quarantine after two daring breakouts for ‘luxury items’. Find out what he told us outside court >>

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A HOBART-born man who dodged quarantine to go grab a Subway sandwich and bluetooth speakers has been released from jail after spending 15 days behind bars.

Trent Reeve, 35, now of Queensland pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with a lawful requirement or direction of an emergency management worker.

In the Hobart Magistrates Court before Magistrate Jackie Hartnett on Thursday, police prosecution said officers spoke to Reeve at the Hobart Airport when he arrived from Brisbane on August 17 as he appeared agitated and had been abusing other passengers.

He was taken to the TraveLodge at Cambridge and at 11.15pm that night, he climbed out his window and went to the BP service station across the road and spent $130 on a bluetooth speaker, two iced coffees, a bottle of Coca-Cola, two packs of cigarettes and a lighter.

The court heard he returned the next morning to swap the speaker and he also bought a sandwich from Subway, which was caught on CCTV.

Quarantine dodger Trent Reeve outside court after being released from custody. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

His defence lawyer told the court Reeve had grown up in Hobart, but had recently been working in the aquaculture industry on the Great Barrier Reef.

He said Reeve’s partner had died in mid-June, which had a “significant impact” on his mental health.

He came to Tasmania after getting a call from his brother to tell him their father had also died.

The court heard he had voluntarily taken a test for COVID-19 on July 31, which was negative.

His lawyer said the breaches weren’t in malice and the quarantine rules were different in Queensland.

He said Reeve “wished to put it all behind him” and return to life in Queensland.

Magistrate Hartnett said she considered the items Reeve bought from the BP to be “luxury items” that were not essential and that he had denied leaving the room to police when they first arrived.

She said his COVID test was 17 days old by the time he arrived in the state.

“This is a virus that can be spread without symptoms and without the carrier knowing,” she said.

Quarantine dodger Trent Reeve outside court after being released from custody. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“I accept you were in an emotional state, but there is an expectation that everyone complies with COVID regulations.

“You have to put the community above yourself.”

Reeve was convicted on both counts and sentenced to 21 days in prison, with 15 days already served and the remaining six suspended.

Outside court, he told the Mercury he was under a lot of stress at the time of the offences.

“I’m not against the law at all, it’s there for a reason, but it would have been nice to be treated with a bit of respect,” he said.

“I told them I wasn’t in a good headspace and they just locked you up and throw you in a room.”

Reeve said he was going to see his sisters before heading back to work in Queensland.

“The world doesn’t stop for me,” he said.