Jason Acott (41) was arrested after allegedly obstructing police officers and preventing them from exercising their power under the Covid-19 regulations on 6 December at the Maison des Landes Hotel.
He is also accused of failing to self-isolate at the staff accommodation of the same hotel on 7 December.
The defendant was allegedly told to self-isolate for two weeks from 27 November until midnight on 11 December after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus.
However, social media posts appeared over the weekend alleging that Mr Acott had been seen breaching isolation rules.
He appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday via video link from police custody to enter his pleas.
Advocate Sarah Dale, representing Mr Acott, said her client did not believe his actions amounted to obstructing police officers. In reference to his second charge, she added it was his case that the way in which he had been told to self-isolate was not clear and he was not given any answers to his questions. Mr Acott also questioned whether there was sufficient evidence to prove that he needed to self-isolate.
Police legal adviser Simon Crowder, for the prosecution, told the court that,on 6 December, Mr Acott was served with a paper notice by police officers to self-isolate at the Maison des Landes Hotel. He is accused of taking the notice before putting it under the windscreen wiper of their patrol car. Mr Crowder also alleged that a witness had seen Mr Acott attending an appointment at a community centre in St Helier on 2 December when he should have been in quarantine at his St Ouen address.
Magistrate Bridget Shaw remanded Mr Acott in custody to spend the remaining days of his self-isolation period in prison. His case is now due to be brought back before the Magistrate’s Court on 2 February for a pre-trial directions hearing.
