Brett Alexander and Jennifer Lee Devenish-Meares criticised for ignoring police order after WA entry refusal

A South West couple have been fined for jumping the WA border and criticised for “blatantly disregarding an order by police” under serious circumstances. Brett Alexander and Jennifer Lee Devenish-Meares appeared in the Bunbury Magistrate’s Court on Monday where they stood charged with failing to comply with a direction. When they were asked to confirm their identities, Mr Devenish-Meares first answered that he was “Brett Alexander of the Devenish-Meares family” while Ms Devenish-Meares introduced herself as “Jennifer Lee of the Devenish-Meares family”. Forming the view that neither formally confirmed their identities, Magistrate Joanne Andretich instructed the pair to leave the bar table and dealt with their respective charges in their ‘absence’. The court was told the pair were driving to Western Australia via the Eyre Highway when they approached the Eucla border checkpoint in April, when the controlled border was still in place. Upon informing the police they were unvaccinated and did not provide a valid G2G pass, the pair were refused entry and given a caution that they would be arrested if they did not turn around. Despite having several opportunities to turn around, they entered Western Australia where they were arrested. Although Ms Devenish-Meares was initially issued an fringement, she elected to have the charge dealt with in court. Mr Devenish-Meares was fined $800 while Ms Devenish-Meares was fined $600 and both were ordered to pay more than $250 each in court costs. In sentencing, Ms Andretich described the offending as a “blatant disregard for a police order” at a time when COVID-19 was rampant in WA.