A man has been jailed for nine months after not complying with COVID-19 orders and police directions.
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Joshua Leslie Rudd, 36, of Goulburn, appeared from custody before Goulburn Local Court on August 18. He pleaded guilty to three charges of not complying with a noticed direction in regards to COVID-19, and possession of methamphetamine. In addition, Rudd faced charges of breaching existing court orders.
The charges related to entering COVID-19 areas of concern, namely the Shoalhaven and Wollongong regions, without a reasonable excuse, and failing to comply with a 14 day stay at home order.
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Magistrate Geraldine Beattie said Rudd was "leaving home many times going to many places" from August 4 until August 16, when he was arrested for the second time in three days.
The Magistrate told the court that at the time of the offences Community Corrections were monitoring Rudd with an electronic locating device on his ankle. She said this was in relation to parole and existing Community Corrections Orders.
Magistrate Beattie presented that on August 4, Rudd visited the Wollongong and Shoalhaven area without a reasonable excuse. She said police issued two Penalty Infringement Notices on August 9 and directed him to self isolate for 14 days.
She told the court that despite police directions, Rudd traveled to Warilla and returned home via Moss Vale from August 11 to 12.
Magistrate Beattie said police arrested Rudd on August 13 where they found 2.27 grams of meth contained in two foil packets inside a cigarette pack, and a further amount in his pocket.
She said Rudd was released later that day at 2:52pm but was then "out and about" from 6:45pm.
She presented to the court that the next day, August 14, Rudd left the house nine times. Magistrate Beattie said that on August15 the offender left isolation three times and traveled "all over Goulburn".
The magistrate told the court that Rudd was again arrested and taken into custody on August 16, before he was denied bail on August 17.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Simon Enderwick argued the importance of "making the offender accountable for his actions".
"It's not only the health of the community but the wider impacts that are exacerbated by people's non-compliance with these orders," he said.
"There was a very real risk of harm he's created with these breaches.
"The need for general deterrence cannot be overstated."
Defence solicitor Peter Subramaniam argued his client was "unable to control his impulses and drug addiction".
He said Rudd's current treatment was "not sufficient" and the reason behind his behaviour was "reaction to stress".
"Drug addiction causes him to offend," Mr Subramaniam said.
In sentencing, the magistrate argued "the risk to the community is so significant the only possible sentence was full-time custody".
She said the maximum penalty to not complying with COVID-19 orders was six-months imprisonment.
"[Rudd] had no regard for anyone else's safety," she said.
"It is a highly contagious virus, only [on August 18] the premier announced 633 new cases.
"[The offender has] disobeyed every direction he's been given [and has] been given chance, after chance, after chance."
Rudd was sentenced to nine months full-time imprisonment with a five-month non-parole period.