A Douglas man will serve five weeks in jail after breaching the emergency powers rules on being outside the home.

Treadwell Nesbit, aged 27, of Sydney Street, pleaded guilty to breaching the Covid-19 regulations despite having previously being warned by police.

Prosecutor Chrissie Hunt told the court that Nesbit had been exercising and when he returned home, he found the door was locked and he could not gain entry.

He went to stay with a friend of a friend in Fairfield Terrace. However, on April 17, the police were called to reports of a party at the address.

Upon the police arriving, Nesbit tried to leave via the back door, where he found a waiting policeman.

After being arrested he told officers he was staying with a friend and accepted he had contravened the regulations on remaining at your permanent residence.

Mrs Hunt added that Nesbit had been previously been warned on April 4, which he confirmed.

Defence advocate Ian Kermode said that ’this is clearly not a straightforward case’ and that Nesbit had been unable to get back into his home after exercising so ’rather than sleep in the streets, he went to a friend of a friend’s.’

He added that Nesbit accepted he should’ve informed the police of his situation and that he failed to provide officers with the full picture when they arrived at the Fairfield Terrace address.

Deputy High Bailiff Chris Arrowsmith said that given his prior warning it ’beggars belief’ that Nesbit didn’t contact the police when he couldn’t get into his home.

He added that the courts will continue to treat Covid breaches ’very seriously’ and that Nesbit had ’jeopardised the health and possibly the lives of island residents’.

Nesbit was sentenced to 35 days.