A man in coronavirus isolation has been arrested after he allegedly broke out of his quarantine hotel to visit a bottle shop.
Martin James McVicar, 52, allegedly left the Distinction Hotel in Hamilton, on New Zealand‘s North Island, to purchase alcohol on Thursday night.
McVicar, who arrived in New Zealand from Sydney on July 1, allegedly cut through a fence to temporarily escape from the facility.
Martin James McVicar (pictured), 52, appeared in Hamilton District Court on Friday accused of breaking out of his quarantine hotel to visit a nearby liquor store on Thursday evening
McVicar allegedly left the Distinction Hotel (pictured) in Hamilton, on New Zealand’s North Island, through a fire escape and cut through fence ties on a 1.8-metre fence
McVicar allegedly visited Brews Te Rapa liquor store, about a 10-minute walk from the hotel, on the busy Te Rapa Road, Stuff reported.
Brews Te Rapa store manager, Manpreet Singh, said the man visited his shop and purchased a four pack of beer and a bottle of wine.
Mr Singh was shocked when police arrived at the store on Friday morning and informed him the man had fled from a quarantine facility.
‘I don’t know why he left from there,’ Mr Singh said.
The bottle shop has since been cleaned and cleared by health officials.
McVicar allegedly returned to the hotel between 6.30pm and 7pm on Thursday night.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters on Friday: ‘My understanding was that this person left through a fire exit and cut through a fence.’
Mr Hipkins said he was advised that a police officer was on site but the hotel should not be blamed for McVicar’s alleged escape.
‘These are not maximum security prisons. These are hotels,’ Mr Hipkins said.
McVicar allegedly visited the Brews Te Rapa (pictured) bottle shop and purchased a four pack of beer and a bottle of wine before returning to the hotel between 6.30pm and 7pm
Mr Hipkins said nobody else had been present in the liquor store and the man had returned a negative coronavirus test on Friday morning.
McVicar faced court on one count of intentionally failing to comply with an order under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020.
He also faced an additional charge of intentionally damaging a 52-inch television that belonged to the Distinction Hotel.
McVicar appeared in court by audio-video link from a cell and was represented by Russell Nye-Wood.
Mr Nye-Wood sought a further remand without plea and suggested McVicar be returned to the quarantine facility to undertake another four days of quarantine.
He said a bail condition could be imposed that McVicar not be found outside the premise where he is quarantined.
The Queenstown man appeared before Hamilton District Court on Friday afternoon and was sent to quarantine in Spring Hill prison.
New Zealand Police opposed any application for bail.
Community Magistrate Robyn Paterson remanded McVicar in custody to be spent in quarantine at Spring Hill Corrections Facility until his next court appearance on July 15.
McVicar did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody to quarantine at Spring Hill Corrections Facility (pictured) until his next court appearance on July 15
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