‘Major in Secret Police’ disobeyed self-isolation rules

Andrezej Grzegorz Rutowicz, 64, admitted breaching the emergency powers legislation when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court from custody.

Prosecuting officer Sarah Watson said the defendant had arrived in Guernsey from Jersey on 14 July, having left Spain four days before.

The requirement to self-isolate was explained to him on arrival and he said he understood.

At about 6.30pm, Border Agency staff called La Trelade Hotel to say the defendant would be self-isolating there and he turned up at about 8pm. He told the receptionist that he was desperate to use the toilet and asked for the key to his room. He went upstairs before returning to reception to complete checking in. The receptionist explained the self-isolation requirements to him again.

He asked if he could go outside for a cigarette. As there was nobody else out there while check in was being completed, the receptionist said he could. As she was finishing work at about 8.20pm she saw the defendant again smoking outside.

She used Google Translate to communicate with him as she feared he might not have understood what he was told before, and said he could not leave his room.

At this point he became verbally aggressive.

‘What are you going to do about it – put me in prison?’ he said.

When the receptionist said he could end up in jail, he threatened to go to the bank and stop the payment for his room.

At 8.45pm he was also aggressive when the hotel supervisor told him to return to his room, and then when police and Border Agency officers arrived just after 9pm he was again downstairs.

When challenged he was argumentative and began raising his voice.

He made a comment about being a member of the Secret Police and mimed pulling a weapon from his clothing and stabbing motions.

At 10pm he was arrested and taken into custody.

He had previous convictions, but nothing for this type of offence.

Advocate Oliver Fattorini said his client apologised fulsomely to the court. He had already been in custody for two weeks in connection with this matter. He had not fully understood what was being said to him because of language difficulties.

Judge Graeme McKerrell said people would have been satisfied that the defendant had understood what he was being told at the time. This had been a deliberate and extremely selfish act which put the whole community at risk both in terms of people’s health and fiscally.

‘When they tried to help you, they got aggressive behaviour from you which only demonstrates your selfish nature,’ he said.

Rutowicz was jailed for four weeks from the time of his arrest and fined £500.