Technician Fined for Breaking Covid Travel Rules Two Years After Incident

Kevin Brown, who was designated a "critical worker," was fined £2,000 for flying to the UK from the Netherlands without pre-booking the required tests.

The technician from Rhyl in north Wales, was found to be negative for Covid in a PCR test taken 24 hours before flying into Manchester Airport, but was stopped by a Border Agent for not having pre-booked 'Day 2' and 'Day 8' Covid tests in advance of his arrival in the UK.

He was issued a £1,000 fixed penalty fine in March 2021, which he did not pay and was later prosecuted.

He was fined £2019 with costs of £90 and a £190 victim surcharge.

Another technician, Elber Lopes, from Hayes, west London, was fined for flying back to the UK from Cape Verde, which was considered a "red list" country, in July 2021.

He had flown out to be by his sick grandmother's side in hospital, but was unaware that Cape Verde was on the "red list" and had not booked himself a spot in a quarantine hotel for his return.

He was fined £5,000 with costs of £90 and a £49 court fee.

Prosecutions for Covid offences have been brought through the Single Justice Procedure and are dealt with behind-closed-doors without public hearings.

Despite the lifting of restrictions in 2022, prosecutions for pandemic offences continue.

At least 13 cases are due before the courts this week for alleged breaches of travel restrictions and failure to wear a mask on public transport in 2021.