One charged, eight fined for coronavirus-related breaches in NSW

A man has been charged and eight others have been fined for coronavirus-related breaches in New South Wales.

Yesterday a 58-year-old man was spoken to multiple times by police in Newtown, in Sydney's inner west, and was allegedly drinking on the street and speaking to another man in an alcohol-free zone.

After failing to comply with Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) related to COVID-19 and allegedly found urinating in public he was arrested and taken to Newtown Police Station.

The man was charged with failing to comply with section 7/8/9 under the Public Health Act, and offensive behaviour and granted bail to appear at Newtown Local Court on Thursday June 25.

NSW Police have issued a number of other fines for people gathering in groups more than two, a motorcyclist without a good reason for being outside, and a pair found in a car with drugs.

• On Thursday April 9 an 18-year-old woman was issued with a PIN after ignoring a warning for being in a group of more than two people.
• Also on April 9, a motorcyclist was fined $1,000 after police deemed the 36-year-old did not have a valid reason for being on the road.
• On Tuesday April 7 police pulled over a car on the NSW South Coast with a man and woman inside. The driver, 35, tried to flee but was stopped. Police found drugs and paraphernalia and discovered the driver was disqualified from driving. The man was given a court attendance notice for drive while disqualified and both he and his female passenger received $1,000 fines.
• A man, 20, and a teen, 15, were found walking by police near Sanctuary Point on the South Coast. Police allegedly found MDMA on the teen, and while this was occurring, the man returned to the street and refused to go home. The teen was taken home and dealt with under the Young Offenders Act, while the man was fined $1,000.
• Two teenagers were fined after alleged negligent driving incident on the weekend.

Since 17 March 2020, police have issued 12 Court Attendance Notices, and 151 fines for breaches of the Public Health Act.