Isle of Man jails Belfast woman for virus breach
A woman from Northern Ireland has been jailed for a month on the Isle of Man after breaking quarantine rules.
Fraser Nolan (60) of Osborne Drive in Belfast had been given special permission to visit the Isle of Man to take care of her late mother’s estate. Arriving by ferry on Sunday, she agreed to abide by strict Covid-19 rules for non-residents and self-isolate for 14 days at an empty family home in Castletown on the south of the island.
Two days later, she broke regulations by travelling around 10 miles on a bus to visit a locksmith.
A Northern Ireland woman has been jailed on the Isle of Man for a month after breaking quarantine rules.
Fraser Nolan (60) of Osborne Drive in Belfast had been given special permission to visit the Isle of Man to take care of her late mother’s estate.
Arriving by ferry on Sunday, she agreed to abide by strict Covid-19 rules for non-residents and self-isolate for 14 days at an empty family home in Castletown on the south of the island.
Just two days later, she broke regulations by travelling around 10 miles on a bus to visit a locksmith in Douglas.
The BBC report that she was reported to police via an anonymous tip-off, with officers going to her house to find it empty and contacting her on her mobile.
Promptly arrested on her return, the court heard the company director told officers she had “taken a chance” by making the journey.
She had also wanted advice on how to open a safe to access documents relating to her mother’s will.
The court was told that Mrs Nolan had not read the terms of her exemption certificate properly and had “made a very silly mistake”.
During her sentencing on Wednesday, magistrates told her the journey had “no real urgency” and that she had “put many people at risk”.
With visitors only allowed with an exemption certificate, breaking the strict rules can result in a fine of up to £10,000 or three months in prison.
Mrs Nolan’s defence had called for a suspended sentence, saying she had not read all the detail of her exemption certificate and was not aware of the level of penalties on the island.
A spokesperson for the Isle of Man Courts Service listed Mrs Nolan’s charges as including failure to comply with a direction under the Emergency Powers (Potentially Infectious Persons) Regulations 2020 between August 16 and August 31.
They added that all prisoners are taken immediately to Isle of Man Prison located in the northern parish of Jurby.
Nicknamed Jurby’s Hilton, the mixed-use facility was featured in a 2019 ITV documentary, The Best Little Prison in Britain?
Housing around 120 prisoners with nearly as many staff members, it was reported that all inmates have their own cell and are allowed out for up to seven hours every day.
Other perks are said to include a personal shopper to help prisoners spend their weekly wages of £35.
Despite the apparent relaxed atmosphere, no prisoner is automatically eligible for parole.
Jail terms for drug offences are also three times longer than in England and Wales, however reoffending rates are also considerably lower at 12.5% compared to 48%.