A New South Wales man who breached South Australia's medi-hotel system by escaping from hotel quarantine to get fast food and go to the pub will spend another week behind bars.
Paul McElhinney, 33, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court to failing to comply with a COVID-19 direction.
McElhinney, who lives in Sydney, was quarantining at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Adelaide's CBD after returning from his father's funeral in Scotland.
Magistrate John Fahey said McElhinney left the hotel via a fire escape on August 12, misled police officers he encountered into believing he was not in quarantine and went to McDonald's and the Duke of York Hotel.
The breach was discovered when he returned to his hotel room drunk at about 6:00am the next morning.
Magistrate John Fahey said McElhinney "just cracked" after a difficult time in his life but his actions had the potential to spread COVID-19 through South Australia.
"Fortunately, you were not contagious; we know now that you could not have infected anyone but that's not the point," he said.
"The community needs to know that there will be serious consequences for those who flout the emergency regulations.
"There has to be a penalty.
"I believe you are a good man; your prolonged separation from your family at a difficult time in your life must have been distressing."
McElhinney, who is fully vaccinated, was convicted and sentenced to 14 days in prison, but Magistrate Fahey backdated it to when he was taken into custody on August 18.
