A police officer’s job is ready to go after walking into Snowdonia – about 20 miles from his home – in violation of COVID-19 Rule.
Mark Lee, 43, traveled to CWM Idval with his partner and their autistic child on 29 December last year, when Wales was an Alert Tier 4 area.
Today at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court, Lee pleaded guilty to being away from his home, which was at the time in Colvin Bay, without any reasonable excuse.
For 12 years, North Wales police officer Lee was fined £600 for the crime.
The court heard that he was also ready to terminate his employment.
Police Sergeant Mark Lee, 43, leaving Landudno Magistrates’ Court after hearing
Prosecutor Helen Hall told the court that Lee is a serving police officer, although he had been ill since August 2020.
He said a police constable was at the one stop filling station in Landigai at 4.40 pm and saw Lee of Trefour, Porthmadog.
‘Mr. Lee shook his hand at (Sergeant) initially,’ said Ms. Hall.
The sergeant asked whether Lee should self-isolate, as he knew he had previously tested positive for the coronavirus.
Lee said he had no symptoms and there was no need to self-isolate.
But, in a police interview, it emerged that Lee had traveled from Colwyn Bay to Snowdonia for a walk at CWM Idval with her partner and partner’s child.
The court said the exercise should begin and end at your home.
Ms Hall said there were several other places the defendant could exercise.
The Welsh lockdown was announced on 19 December, but the defendant said he was not aware of the rules at the time.
Ms Hall told the court it was up to police officers to find out the rules and familiarize themselves with them.
Sergeant Mark Lee arrives at Landudno Magistrates’ Court in earlier hearing
“Under any circumstance, ignoring the law is no defense,” he said.
In defense, Richard Orme said it was a ‘strange’ situation and that Lee was a man of good character who was ‘too brave’ to plead guilty.
Mr Orme said he felt ‘in a strange and almost dreamlike state’, adding: ‘I am representing someone for a walk in the wrong place.
Meaning not disrespecting the rules, that is the situation we are in.
‘It would be readily acknowledged by the court that the greatest loss to Mark Lee in all of this is the fact that the guilty plea effectively terminates his employment with the police.
‘It’s a job he’s had for many years.’
Mr Orme said his client had ‘raised his hand’ and acknowledged that ignorance of the law is no defense.
The solicitor said Lee had mental health issues of his own and was ‘fighting his demons’ at the time of the crime.
Now he is faced with the search for a new job.
Mr Orme said: ‘He puts his hand up and says, “I could have gone for more walks locally.”
He said the child has autism and ‘maybe that’s why they went further’.
Mr Orme said: ‘He will have to go to the open market and find another job.
‘It beggars belief that we have a police officer who has served the locality and the members of the public with decency and candor to the best of his ability.
‘It is to his credit that he is someone who has pleaded guilty to breaking the coronavirus rules by walking in the wrong place. It is a mighty brave guilty plea before this court today.
‘He is aware that officials at the local and national level have issued tickets for violations. He readily accepts that he should also follow the rules.’
District Judge Gwyn Jones said: ‘You decided to travel that day to the Colwyn Bay area from the address where you were staying in the Ogwen Valley to get some exercise.
‘This is clearly not something that was allowed as per the rules.’
He said he had served the community in North Wales and the punishment could affect his ‘long-term employment’, but that was a matter for the chief constable to determine.
The district judge fined Lee £600 and he would have to pay £700 of prosecution costs.
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