Austere COVID restrictions had kept Dale McLaughlan from seeing his girlfriend, Jessica Radcliffe for weeks. The self-employed roofer from Irvine, Scotland first met Radcliffe while working on a on the Isle of Man during a four week work permit issued under the island’s strict pandemic guidelines.
Returning home, McLaughlan sought to visit Radcliffe again, but was denied permission twice by authorities. So, he purchased a used pink Sea-Doo Spark and planned his next move. Police reported that McLaughlin towed the Spark the 70-miles from his home to the beach on the Isle of Whithorn, where his journey began at 8am.
McLaughlan estimated that the 25-mile open ocean trek would take 40 minutes, but due to foul weather on the Irish Sea and McLaughlan’s inexperience on a PWC, took nearly five hours, arriving on land at 1pm. Then he hiked another 15-miles by foot, following the road signs to his girlfriend’s home in Anagh Coar.
After spending the next 36 hours together with Radcliffe, authorities arrested McLaughlin, where he was jailed for 4 weeks citing, “Not only did you place the population of the Isle of Man at risk, but you put yourself at significant risk of harm.”
Concerned whether McLaughlin would “infect” the population of Isle of Man, he told police that he “had taken a COVID test four days before he had traveled and it had come back negative.” Prepared to take a second test, McLaughlin’s results came back negative a second time.
McLaughlin pleaded guilty to a single charge of ‘failing to comply with the emergency powers regulations’ by entering the island without an exemption notice or permit. In a statement, the police said: ‘The circumstances have been investigated and Public Health are satisfied there is no wider risk to the public.”
