A Perth man was hauled to court and fined £500 after police caught him hosting an illegal gathering at his city centre flat.
William Taylor admitted breaching strict coronavirus laws by having three other visitors at his home in Scott Street on Monday evening.
Perth Sheriff Court heard the 52-year-old had previously received fixed penalty notices for similar breaches but had reached the maximum number allowed.
Fiscal depute Kristina Kelly said: “The locus here was the accused’s home address.
“Police were called to attend after receiving information about a disturbance there.
“On entering, they saw Mr Taylor with three other people and it was quickly established that they were not part of his support bubble.”
She said: “The three others were issued with fixed penalty notices, but Mr Taylor had already received the maximum amount and that is why he was taken into custody.”
Ms Kelly said she was not aware of how many penalties Taylor had so far received.
Public health breach
Solicitor Billy Somerville said one of the others in the flat had turned up looking for “a safe place to hide” and was just about to leave when police officers arrived at the door.
Taylor pleaded guilty to a single charge of contravening coronavirus rules by attending at a gathering in a level four area.
Sheriff Neil Bowie told Taylor said: “These regulations are enforced for good reasons, for public health reasons.
“The people that police found at your address were not part of your support bubble and should not have been in your home.”
Taylor’s fine of £500 was reduced from £750 to reflect his early guilty plea.
In the week up to April 14, Police Scotland handed out its 15,000th fixed penalty notice for a Covid breach.
There have been nearly 900 arrests.
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