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Woman jailed for stopping to fill up her car under Isle of Man coronavirus rules

Isle of Man Courts of Justice in Douglas.  Douglas, Isle of Man.
Amie Murphy was jailed for four weeks at Douglas Courthouse. (Getty)

A woman has been jailed in the Isle of Man for breaking coronavirus rules by stopping to fill up her car with petrol.

Amie Murphy, 36, was said to have failed to go straight home and self isolate following a trip to the mainland UK.

Murphy stopped for fuel in the town of Laxey when her fuel warning light came on in her car shortly after driving off the ferry on September 18.

Douglas Courthouse heard she had completed a landing card and been explained the self isolation rules which she agreed to.

Handle fuel nozzle to refuel. Vehicle fueling facility.
She reportedly stopped after her fuel warning light came on. (Getty)

Murphy told a filling station assistant she had "just got off the boat" and he opened the forecourt early for her at around 5am.

She was then reported to police after he told his manager about her trip to the pumps.

Read more: Isle of Man shopper jailed for failing to self-isolate after wife showed symptoms

The court heard Murphy later became aggressive and swore at officers when confronted by police at her home.

Peter Taylor, defending, said she had not realised her car was low on fuel and did not believe that stopping to fill up was "an unreasonable thing to do".

Watch: The government working ‘urgently’ to fix NHS app

Murphy admitted failing to comply with a direction under emergency powers regulations and resisting arrest and was jailed for four weeks.

Magistrates said the rules had been explained to her and that the island was doing its "very best to keep COVID-19 out"

She is the fifth person to be jailed over social distancing breaches on the Isle of Man.

No pleas were entered to two charges of driving offences and her next appearance at Douglas Courthouse will be on October 15.

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