BBC

A man who tried to escape arrest by hiding in his girlfriend's shower has been jailed for breaking Covid-19 laws.

Police visited Katie O'Sullivan's flat in Douglas on Tuesday to follow up on a previous visit and became suspicious when they heard a male voice, as the 18-year-old had said she lived alone.

After a search, officers found Andrew Quirk, 25, hiding in the bathroom.

Quirk and O'Sullivan both admitted taking part in a gathering and were jailed at Douglas Courthouse.

The Isle of Man's current lockdown bans people from leaving home without good reason and households from mixing.

Quirk, of Keppel Road, who also admitted being away from home without good reason, was jailed for 30 days, while O'Sullivan, of Woodville Terrace, was handed 12 weeks in prison, which included 10 weeks of two previously suspended sentences for breaching restrictions and assaulting a police officer in May.

The hearing at Douglas Courthouse was told police had spoken to O'Sullivan at her home on Woodville Terrace on 4 January and she had told them she lived alone.

When they returned to speak to her again two weeks later, they heard a male voice in the flat and subsequently found Quirk hiding in a walk-in shower.

Quirk's lawyer said he had visited O'Sullivan because he was "going through a difficult period", but accepted the rules were in place for a reason.

O'Sullivan's lawyer said she did not realise Quirk's presence was a breach of the regulations, as he had sometimes stayed at her home before the current lockdown.

Passing sentence, Deputy High Bailiff Christopher Arrowsmith said the breach had the potential to diminish the efforts the majority of the island's community were making to stop the spread of Covid-19.