An Aylesbury actor has been jailed for visiting a hospital treating coronavirus patients, after claiming he wanted to have a look with his own eyes.
Kierran Stevenson, 32, of Sewell Close, Aylesbury, admitted charges of causing a public nuisance and contravening the current coronavirus movement restrictions when he appeared in custody at Oxford Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 2nd April 2020.
Causing a public nuisance is a common law offence. It is defined in Archbold as thus: "A person is guilty of a public nuisance (also known as common nuisance), who (a) does an act not warranted by law, or (b) omits to discharge a legal duty, if the effect of the act or omission is to endanger the life, health, property or comfort of the public, or to obstruct the public in the exercise or enjoyment of rights common to all Her Majesty's subjects."
There is no requirement of intention or recklessness. A person is guilty of causing a public nuisance if they knew, or ought to have known, that their actions or omissions would result in a nuisance being caused.
Causing a public nuisance is an either way offence. The maximum penalty on summary conviction is 6 months' custody; in the absence of legislation to the contrary, the maximum (theoretical) penalty on conviction on indictment is an unlimited period in custody.
Stevenson, who has appeared as an extra in several TV and film productions, took to Facebook last Monday to announce his intention to visit Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
Immediately prior to visiting to the hospital, he posted: "On one of my daily ALLOWED excursions... I'm gonna take a walk around the hospital and get some real numbers for you.
"Time to have a look with my own eyes."
The court heard that Stevenson was captured on CCTV at the hospital a short while later. He was seen wandering around the corridors and talking to staff, despite the hospital being closed to visitors. Stevenson did not have any legitimate medical or business need to be at the hospital.
Having returned from the hospital, he posted: "I went to ICU, A+E, Level One, Level Two, upstairs and downstairs. No sanitisers in sight, no bacterial rub, nothing.
"Spoke to two different workers - Vinny (he called himself, lanyard was backwards) is loving the overtime he's getting and wore a mask for about one day when it first hit Stoke Mandeville a month ago.
"I'm not saying covid doesn't exist, it's a respiratory virus, but is predominantly focusing on the elderly and infirm (same as standard flu).
"Now think about how many people day in day out dying from normal shit... but getting put into the covid-19 stat to keep the pandemic going.
He concluded his post by saying: "Bottom line is, if your [sic] missing your lattes Stoke Mandeville Costa is still open."
The police were alerted to Stevenson's antics and he was arrested the following day.
Stevenson was sentenced to 12 weeks' custody and ordered to pay £300 compensation to Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Thames and Chilton, said: "Despite there being clear warnings about entering the hospital, Stevenson walked around the building, speaking with staff and breaching social distancing guidelines.
"His reckless behaviour was extremely distressing for staff and put them, patients and the public at risk. We will continue to prosecute anyone who acts irresponsibly risking harm to others during the current pandemic."
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