Clueless tourist, 22, who skipped hotel quarantine in WA after TWO days to go sightseeing screams at police 'I didn't put anyone in danger' while being arrested at Broome airport
A tourist has been fined $2,500 for leaving hotel quarantine only two days into her stay and going sightseeing around a regional town.
Shannai Reid, 22, left the Roebuck Hotel in Broome in Western Australia's north-west on August 19 after her first negative Covid-19 test result.
The Queenslander figured she could just get her second required test at her next holiday stop in Darwin, then take her third at home in the Daintree.
Broome Magistrates Court heard she was active in the community for several days before she was arrested at the town's airport on August 24.
Shannai Reid, 22, has been fined $2,500 for leaving hotel quarantine only two days into her stay - thinking she was in her rights to go out into the community after only one negative Covid-19 test result
She visited the popular Broome lookout spot Gantheaume Point, but thought her actions were justified as she had no symptoms.
Reid screamed and yelled at officers during her arrest and refused to co-operate, and so was thrown in jail until her court date.
Unrepentant, she believed she was within her rights to skip quarantine, continue her holiday, and do the other tests elsewhere, the court heard.
'I don't think I put anyone in danger... I want to be home with my community and my family,' she said, according to ABC Kimberley.
Reid, who represented herself in court, said she was doing what she 'thought was right' as she pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a Covid-19 direction.
Reid visited the popular Broome lookout spot Gantheaume Point while active in the community, thinking she had done nothing wrong as she was not showing symptoms
Reid screamed at officers during her arrest at Broome Airport and refused to co-operate, a court heard
Magistrate Stephen Sharratt said he accepted Reid made a mistake, but it wasn't a reasonable one and was unacceptable.
'I accept that she didn't just jump the fence and say "I've had enough of this". She thought she was OK medically, she thought she was OK legally,' he said.
The police prosecutor said Reid showed 'complete disregard' for Covid-19 restrictions and was fortunate her later tests also came up negative.
The prosecution asked to keep her in jail until she paid the fine, but Magistrate Sharratt fined her $2,500 and released her from behind bars.
'I'll just fine her and let her go,' he said.