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SINGAPORE: Six people who participated in a 12-person gathering on Lazaro Island were fined S $ 3,000 each on Thursday (November 26) for violating COVID-19 laws.
All six pleaded guilty to the charge of meeting with other people for a disallowed purpose and without a reasonable excuse under COVID-19 regulations.
They are: British citizens William Edwin Dunford, 32, Richard Henri Lagesse, 31, Lowri Mair Jeffs, 31, Zoe Louise Cronk, 30, Jeff Richard Alexander, 32, and Singaporean Natalie Joanna Sarkies, 29.
Co-defendant Paul Jonathon Gold, 32, was the first to plead guilty and was fined S $ 3,000 in October.
At 11 a.m. on August 8, the group took a ferry to San Juan Island, before walking to the beach of Lazaro Island. They spent the day there before catching a ferry back to mainland Singapore at around 6pm.
Sarkies posted photos of the trip on Instagram with the 12 defendants, and the photos were reported on various media platforms, “attracting public attention and causing public alarm,” the prosecutor said.
He asked for a fine of S $ 3,000 for the six who pleaded guilty Thursday, saying Gold had been fined the same amount.
Defense attorney Shafiuddin Ong originally represented all six, but Sarkies, Lagesse and Cronk fired him Thursday.
On behalf of Dunford, Jeffs and Alexander, he said his clients have realized the folly of his conduct and regret the incident.
He said the cases cited by the prosecutor occurred during the “circuit breaker” period, while this meeting occurred during Phase 2 of Singapore’s reopening. He asked for fines of S $ 2,500 each.
Deputy Prosecutor Timotheus Koh responded that just because the incident occurred during Phase 2 did not translate into a lower sentence, as there is no correlation between easing safe distancing measures and the sentence that should be imposed.
He added that the defendants failed to comply with the measures that were put in place to protect themselves against a second wave of COVID-19 infections, and the court should not endorse society to let down its guard.
In mitigation, Sarkies said, “I take full responsibility for the actions I have taken and would like to express my deep regret and regret, especially during these difficult times.”
Lagesse said she was very sorry for what they did and regrets their actions, saying “it certainly won’t happen again.”
Cronk also apologized, saying, “I am deeply sorry for our actions that day and sincerely apologize for it and can confirm that it definitely will not happen again.
For violating a COVID-19 regulation, the defendant could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S $ 10,000, or both.
The cases of the remaining five defendants are pending: Joshua Adam Roth, Edward John Joseph Lee-Bull, Helen Ann Sullivan, James Riby Oram Trimming and Luong Thi Thu Ha.
