“I was on the brink”: Man tells court he breached SA’s COVID restrictions to “urgently” use airport toilet

Toilet sign, Indoor bathroom sign

A man has copped a suspended sentence after explaining that he breached COVID-19 restrictions because he urgently needed to use the toilet.

Police in South Australia arrested a 49-year-old man from the Northern Territory on 13 August at an Adelaide hotel after he had arrived in the city on a flight from Melbourne and allegedly lied to airport staff.

The man, who was identified by ABC News as Bernard Shackcloth, was charged with failing to comply with emergency management direction and pleaded guilty at Adelaide’s Magistrates Court on Monday.

Shackcloth told the court he lied to skip the COVID-19 processing queue at Adelaide Airport because he was in a hurry to use the toilet, ABC News reported.

He said he was taking medication that affected his cholesterol.

“I had All-Bran with skim milk for breakfast, so it’s good for cholesterol, but when you got to go, you got to go,” he told the court.

According to Adelaide Now, Shackcloth said he thought he was going to “soil” his pants.

“I was on the brink,” he said.

“My ears hadn’t popped, so I couldn’t hear exactly what she was saying to me. I was just agreeing with her so I could go to the toilet behind her.

“I was in dire straits … I’m only human.”

Shackcloth said he was fully vaccinated and had been in Bendigo, not Melbourne, which was in lockdown at the time.

Magistrate Christopher Smolicz said Shackcloth had every opportunity to explain that he needed to go to the toilet.

“Your actions were irresponsible, they were foolish and ultimately they put the community at risk,” Smolicz said.

Shackcloth was sentenced to 13 days in jail, which was suspended on a 12-month good behaviour bond.


Featured image source: iStock/cgdeaw

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]