On Monday he was sentenced to four weeks in prison.
“This person knew about the law and showed blatant disdain when they chose to violate it, interfere with the community and potentially endanger lives,” said Howard Quayle, Isle of Man’s chief minister. , in a statement on Tuesday. .
The Isle of Man, which depends on Great Britain for its defense but is self-governing, is closed to non-residents except those with special permission. Mr Mclaughlan arrived without permission to enter and failed to declare his arrival or isolate himself, Mr Quayle said.
The island, which has a population of approximately 85,000, has only four active cases of coronavirus and has not had a locally transmitted case in more than six months, said Mr. Quayle.
As isolation fatigue sets in, thousands of people around the world have been arrested, fined and even convicted for defying the restrictions of the coronavirus. In a case in Italy this year, a man was fined after leaving his home to cool off after an argument with his wife, which broke the country’s curfew. In Taiwan, a man was punished for leaving his quarantine room for eight seconds, and in Australia, a man was caught violating lockdown to get butter chicken curry.
Mclaughlan, like many separated from loved ones during the pandemic, struggled to cope with the distance, the British Broadcasting Corporation said, quoting his attorney. He told authorities that he met his girlfriend in September when he visited the island for his job as a roofer. After returning to Scotland, he had applied twice to travel to the Isle of Man to see his girlfriend, but court documents had denied both requests.