Virus prankster faces new charges
A Christchurch man who filmed himself coughing and sneezing on shoppers at a supermarket while the country was in complete lockdown has amassed more charges.
Raymond Gary Coombs, 39, had many New Zealanders seething when he went to the FreshChoice supermarket in Barrington in early April and filmed himself deliberately coughing and sneezing on people.
He turned the camera on other shoppers as he apologised and then grinned at the camera as he continued walking through the aisles.
Just a few days earlier on March 31, Coombs uploaded a video to Facebook saying he had been infected with Covid-19.
He was tested for Covid-19 after his arrest and the results were negative.
Coombs was described as ‘‘an idiot’’ by the prime minister after his prank came to light.
Coombs pleaded guilty in the Christchurch District Court on April 6 to an amended charge of offensive behaviour.
He was initially charged with endangering life by criminal nuisance and obstruction of a medical officer of health, but one of the charges was withdrawn.
Coombs appeared in court viaaudiovisual link yesterday, but was unable to be sentenced on the charge of offensive behaviour because of an outstanding presentence document.
The court heard Coombs had been charged with more offences including careless driving and refusing to provide a blood sample.
He has also been charged with breaching his release conditions.
Coombs’ defence counsel, Kathy Basire, requested Coombs be remanded without plea on the new charges. He was remanded in custody to June 16.