Three men on the Gold Coast have been charged with breaking social distancing laws after a police helicopter allegedly caught them drinking on the rooftop of a building
Police footage shows three men (aged 19, 20 and 21) drinking on top of a Jefferson Lane property in Palm Beach at approximately 11.20pm on Saturday night, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The three young men appeared to be enjoying a casual drink on the roof when they were caught by a police helicopter using night vision cameras.
‘This is the police – to the three people on the building roof top. Yes, we can see you to the person in the hoodie in the middle with your cold drinks,” a police officer said through a megaphone.
“The building is surrounded by police. You need to make your way to the ground floor immediately, please.”
The trio were met by police and a sniffer dog when they exited the building.
“This is a textbook example of a breach where there has been a total and blatant disregard for not only the law, but also the direction of the chief health officer’s directions,” Gold Coast District Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said, according to SMH.
Police have alleged that the three men were in breach of social distancing laws, and trespassing when they were spotted on Saturday night. Two of the men, aged 19 and 20, have also received charges for being in possession of drugs.
In Queensland, the fine for breaching social distancing laws is a staggering $1,334.
The two men charged with drug possession will appear in Coolangatta Court on July 27.
