£4,700 fine for bricklayer who broke covid isolation rules

Thursday 18 March 2021

A 28-year-old bricklayer, who came to the island to work, has been fined £4,700 for breaking the Jersey's covid isolation rules.

Jordan Taylor failed to self-isolate when he arrived in the island to work last month. He could not be found when Environmental Health officers visited his guest house multiple times over two days.

He admitted his guilt when appearing in the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

Summarising the facts of the case, Police Legal Adviser Katie Ridley said that Taylor had arrived in the island on the Commodore Clipper on 13 February, so needed to isolate for 14 days with a test on arrival, day 5 and day 10.

Pictured: Taylor arrived on the Commodore Clipper on 13 February.

Four days later, on 17 February, officers went to Taylor’s address, the Havelock Guest House, but could not find him, despite searching his room and the public areas.

Staff told them that Taylor has been seen mingling with other people. Officers returned 90 minutes later and still could not find him.

Later that day, he contacted officers to say he had left his room because it was being cleaned. 

The following day, 18 February, officers returned twice and, again, Taylor was not at the guesthouse. Returning the next day, he was there and told them that, the day before, he had driven up to the Airport for his Day 5 test but had got lost on his return.

Between the two officer visits that day, this meant that Taylor was away from the guesthouse for just under five hours, despite the law saying that people must return straight to their accommodation after taking a test during isolation. 

Defending, Advocate Francesca Pinel said that Taylor appreciated that he had “messed up” and he apologised for his actions. 

Pictured: Taylor was only supposed to leave his accommodation for his covid tests.

She added that, on the first absence when his room was being cleaned, Taylor had sat in his car to have a cigarette and then gone for a walk. He had not met anyone else, she said.

Advocate Pinel added that Taylor had had two negative tests before leaving the UK and all three of his tests in Jersey had been negative. 

She said that Taylor had been promised employment until the end of the year and his boss had offered him extra hours in order to pay off the fine.

Pictured top: Taylor, a bricklayer, has been offered extra hours by his boss to pay off the fine. (Torange.biz)