Covid-19: Auckland man sentenced for flouting lockdown rules

He was found in an apartment on the 15th floor of the Rydges Hotel on Featherston Street, Wellington. Photo / Google Maps

An Auckland man who was hundreds of kilometres away from where he was supposed to be during a Covid lockdown was found on the 15th floor of a hotel high-rise in the capital.

Ali Rafiee was today sentenced for flouting last year's covid alert level restrictions, breaking the rule that restricted travel in and out of the city.

Rafiee was caught, along with several associates, in an apartment on the 15th floor of the Rydges Hotel on Featherston St, Wellington, according to the summary of facts.

The group were sprung on September 18 around 8.30am, just days before Auckland came out of alert level 4 lockdown. Wellington was at alert level 2 at the time.

The summary of facts stated the 42-year-old gave an Auckland address and was subsequently arrested on the day.

At the time Rafiee provided no explanation to police as to why he had flouted the rules and traveled 641km outside of where he was meant to be living during lockdown.

He spent 10 days in custody, and a number of months on restrictive bail conditions, while he awaited an outcome through the courts.

Rafiee, who attended the hearing via speaker phone, said he was willing to be sentenced today in the somewhat "unusual" circumstances.

"I just want it over and done with is all," he told Judge Andrew Nichols this afternoon.

Judge Nicholls, who conducted the hearing by standing close to the "ordinary phone" that sat on the registrar's desk, granted Rafiee his wish and convicted him of the charge.

Judge Nicholls said because of the time Rafiee had spent in custody and on bail, that no other sentence would be imposed apart from a formal conviction being entered on to his record.