SA pizza bar worker breaks silence
The Spanish national accused of lying to South Australian contact tracers and prompting the nation’s hardest lockdown has expressed remorse for his actions.
Speaking for the first time since news broke that a worker of the Woodville Pizza Bar misled the state’s authorities, the man said - via his lawyer - that he was apologetic for any consequences caused by his actions.
Last week South Australia announced a six-day lockdown that would be the country’s hardest and shortest - but just three days later, it was announced that it would be over after finding out a worker had misled contract tracers.
He reportedly let them know that he purchased a pizza from the shop, but the truth was he worked there.
The man’s lawyer Scott Jelbert of Camena Legal said his client did not mean to cause harm with he information he gave contact tracers.
"My client is in quarantine and I make this brief statement on his behalf. He is extremely remorseful and deeply sorry for any part his conduct played in any unnecessary lock-down actions," Scott Jelbert said in a statement.
"He did not foresee or intend that things might unfold as they have.
"Since entering quarantine he has had limited information about government media releases, public opinion and social media."
But Mr Jelbert said some of the information circulating about his client was incorrect.
"I am however instructed that some information is not fair, accurate or complete notwithstanding the State Government's comments, and he is concerned he has been all but publicly named," Mr Jelbert said.
"My client's current focus is on cooperating with the authorities and completing quarantine.
"He is sincerely concerned about the impact of the lock-down on South Australians.
"My client has not been charged with any breach of the law but in the circumstances, including that such charges may emerge, no further comment about those matters is appropriate at this time."