Martin McVicar admitted escaping managed isolation to buy beer and wine. He was sentenced to 40 hours' community service and $1000 reparation for a damaged TV. Photo / Christine Cornege
Martin McVicar admitted escaping managed isolation to buy beer and wine. He was sentenced to 40 hours' community service and $1000 reparation for a damaged TV. Photo / Christine Cornege
A Queenstown man who admitted escaping managed isolation to buy beer and wine must do community work and pay reparation for his crime.
Martin James McVicar, 52, has pleaded guilty to breaking out of the Distinction Hotel in Hamilton last month after returning from Australia for a family tragedy.
In the Hamilton District Court today he was sentenced to 40 hours' community service and ordered to pay $1000 reparation for damaging a flat-screen TV in his room, One News reported.
McVicar, a businessman, went in search of booze on the eighth day of his 14-day stay at the facility, buying a four pack of Leffe Blonde and a bottle of red wine.
At 6.30pm that night he cut through ties on a 1.8m-high fence and walked 10 minutes up the road to the nearby Brews liquor store. In all, his jaunt lasted about 30 minutes.
The Distinction Hotel in Hamilton where Martin McVicar escaped during managed isolation and went to a liquor store to buy beer and wine. Photo / Belinda Feek
At the time Cory McVicar, understood to be McVicar's daughter, told the Otago Daily Times she warned him not to break out.
Brews staff had to clean the premises after McVicar's visit came to light and health staff had to contact local businesses and scour security camera footage to confirm McVicar's whereabouts during his escape, One News said.
The Distinction Hotel was classed as a "low risk" isolation facility, though it was the scene of another breakout when a mother and four of her children absconded to try to get to the body of the children's father in Auckland the night before his funeral.
In McVicar's case, the court heard staff were told days earlier that McVicar was "causing issues" and had been attempting to escape, One News said.
He was also "regularly" requesting alcohol from others there. At one point McVicar was spoken to by police and warned.
But on Thursday, July 9, he left the hotel through a side door and cut the cable ties securing the fence.
"The defendant was initially approached and asked if he left the facility, to which he stated he did so to purchase alcohol from a liquor shop," the prosecutor said.
"Later in the evening the defendant was in an intoxicated state, he had also consumed some prescribed medication – a nurse was called to assess him but he was unresponsive."
When police arrived the next day they discovered the smashed 52-inch television.
He was charged with intentionally failing to comply with an order under the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 by leaving a managed isolation facility and buying alcohol.
Judge Garry Collin said tragic family circumstances prompted McVicar's return from Australia and an exemption to leave isolation was not granted.
"However, it's clear you know what the rules were ... You were spoken to about not leaving the facility.
