Border dodger who snuck into WA by hiding in the back of a truck is jailed for six months in the harshest punishment yet for a COVID-19 rule-breaker

  • Asher Faye Vander Sanden appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday 
  • She snuck into Western Australia by hiding in a car being transported by a truck
  • The 28-year-old chose to sneak in as she didn't want to pay hotel quarantine fee
  • She was sentenced to six months in jail but will be eligible for parole after three 
A woman who snuck into Western Australia on the back of a truck from coronavirus-plagued Victoria has been jailed for six months - the harshest penalty yet for a COVID-19 breach. 
Asher Faye Vander Sanden travelled back to the state by road between July 30 and August 11 in an effort to avoid the mandatory hotel quarantine fee of $2,500.
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with a direction of the Emergency Management Act on Tuesday.
She was sentenced to six months behind bars and will be eligible for parole after three months.
Asher Faye Vander Sanden travelled back to the state by road between July 30 and August 11
Asher Faye Vander Sanden travelled back to the state by road between July 30 and August 11
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with a direction of the Emergency Management Act and was on Tuesday sentenced to six months behind bars
The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with a direction of the Emergency Management Act and was on Tuesday sentenced to six months behind bars
Magistrate Andrew Matthews told Vander Sanden her actions had the potential to undo 'what this government has done to prevent community spread', The West Australian reported.
Vander Sanden was in Victoria for a month while she was visiting her sister and applied for an exemption to get back into WA.
She was granted an exemption to enter WA on a flight from Melbourne but instead met a truck driver in Mildura on July 31 who agreed to smuggle her into the state.
Perth Magistrates Court heard she hid in a car that was being transported by the truck and did not declare herself at Eucla near the border of South and Western Australia.
When she failed to arrive at Perth Airport as expected on August 11, police immediately commenced an investigation. 
Police were aware of her arrival into the state but Vander Sanden refused to quarantine as she did not want to pay the hefty $2,500 fee.
Instead she contacted her boyfriend who picked her up from a petrol station in Midland.
They went back to his Scarborough home where the 28-year-old claims to have self-quarantined.
Police prosecutors told the court they were searching for Vander Sanden but she was deliberately hiding from them.
A woman who snuck through Western Australia's hard border from coronavirus-plagued Victoria has been jailed for six months - the harshest penalty for breaching COVID-19 border laws (pictured: WA border stop in April)
A woman who snuck through Western Australia's hard border from coronavirus-plagued Victoria has been jailed for six months - the harshest penalty for breaching COVID-19 border laws (pictured: WA border stop in April)
She was eventually arrested at her boyfriend's home on August 11 and has been in custody at Bandyup Prison ever since.
Her lawyer John Hammond told the court the sentence should be decreased as she had pleaded guilty immediately and cooperated with police.
Mr Hammond said Vander Sanden understood she did the wrong thing but she had self-quarantined at her boyfriend's house so there was 'no contact with the outside community'.
However, police prosecutors insist a prison sentence was appropriate for the woman's 'complete disregard' for border restrictions.
Mr Matthews agreed and told her she put the community at a greater risk as she travelled from Victoria, a known hotspot. 
Vander Sanden is believed to have tested negative to coronavirus.  

Australia's borders could stay closed until virus vaccine is available
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1 comment:

  1. Communist state of Australia...Even North Kore has more freedom than Australia at the moment and all this because of a scamademic

    ReplyDelete

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