Woman admits breaching self-isolation rule twice

Judge Graeme McKerrell made the comment when imposing fines totalling £7,000 on a woman who admitted two breaches.

Prosecuting Advocate Rory Calderwood told the court how Louise Hutchinson, 40, of 128, Les Genats Estate, Cobo, Castel, had returned to Guernsey by fast ferry from Poole on 9 October.

A Guernsey Border Agency representative explained the requirement to self-isolate for 14 days to Mrs Hutchinson at the harbour and she signed a form accepting she understood she must do this until 23 October.

She had wanted to take the option of having a test and self-isolating for seven days but was told she was not eligible for that.

On 17 October, the GBA received reports that Mrs Hutchinson had been seen in a shop.

When they went the shop to view CCTV it confirmed she had been there on both 15 and 17 October.

When officers visited her home she denied leaving the property.

On 23 October she attended at the Police Station for a voluntary interview. She again denied leaving her home other than to go outside and shut a window on her car.

When told she had been seen in the shop she denied it. When still images from the CCTV footage that showed her in the shop were shown to her, her demeanour changed.

She said no comment, stood up, and asked to leave.

At that point she was arrested and charged.

While being booked into custody she said that she should have been allowed to self-isolate for only seven days and said she had done a silly thing.

She had no relevant previous convictions.

Advocate Phoebe Cobb said her client had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. She had wanted to return to Guernsey earlier but the ferry had been delayed and during that time the law had changed in relation to self-isolation.

When Judge McKerrell said the defendant had been told she would need to self-isolate for 14 days, Advocate Cobb said her client accepted that.

It had been a reckless decision on her part.

She had gone to the shop on occasions to buy electricity and also food for her family the second time.

She had not wanted to rely on her parents. Her husband had suffered an accident at work and could walk only with a stick. She was his carer and the family relied on income support.

Her husband was due a compensation payment from insurance as a result of his accident but they would not get that for about one year.

She had £100 on her today but said she could make weekly payments. This had been a huge turning point in her life. She was very upset at her behaviour and the risk she posed to others.

Judge McKerrell said she should not have committed the offences then.

She got credit for her early guilty plea but he said he had heard that the defendant thought the restriction to self-isolate for 14 days was unfair.

‘Let me tell you that the only unfairness here was the potential risk you posed to the public by your failure to self-isolate,’ he said.

Self-isolation had to be complied with and it was a penalty people had to pay to prevent the risk of passing the coronavirus to others.

A lot of people would be returning to the island in the coming weeks.

If they failed to self isolate and were brought before the court they should bring a significant amount of money with them as they would be expected to pay a good part of it before they could leave the court.

‘If not, the only present they will get from me will be a free Christmas dinner courtesy of the prison governor,’ said Judge McKerrell.

A person’s personal circumstances had to be taken into account.

A fine of £3,000 was imposed for the first offence and £4,000 for the second.

The defendant was ordered to arrange a weekly payment plan with the HM Sheriff’s office and to attend a fine review court on 22 February. Mrs Hutchinson promised to pay the fines when the insurance payment was received.