A LISBELLAW man who was caught at a second house party after police had already moved him on from another has been fined for breaching Covid regulations.
Christopher South (24) of Drumhirk Road, Lisbellaw appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday charged with two separate breaches of the current Health Protection Regulations.
The first breach arose from the night of March 13 and the early hours of March 14. At around 11pm on March 13 police were called to reports of a house party at a residential area in Enniskillen. South, who police were aware had previously been issued with a Covid notice in January, was among those at the house.
Then, at 1.30am on March 14, police were called to reports of another house party in the Lisbellaw area. When they arrived they heard music and voices coming from inside, where they discovered there were 10 people from eight different households. South was among them, and the court was told it appeared he had been moved on from one party and went to another. He was arrested for breaching Covid rules.
The second breach arose after police were approached by a member of the public in Irvinestown on April 11 about a car outside a property. It transpired the house was an Airbnb and South was staying at the house that night with a woman, who he said he didn’t live with but she was in his bubble.
Defence solicitor Gary Black said South, who accepted the breaches, had been complying with the restrictions for a “significant” period of time, but had “let it slip considerably” in recent times. He said South had been in employment prior to the pandemic but has lost his job as a result of Covid last May. Mr Black said South’s mental health had deteriorated due to various circumstance, but he was getting medical support and now seeking employment again.
The solicitor added South was remorseful about breaching the rules.
District Judge Steven Keown fined South a total of £450 for the two charges.
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