The Auckland couple charged for travelling to Wānaka during Auckland's Alert Level 4 lockdown has pleaded guilty to failing to comply with Covid-19 health orders.
However, Judge Bruce Davidson discharged Hannah Rawnsley, 26, without conviction on the condition she paid a $500 charitable donation.
William Willis, 35, was convicted and sentenced to pay a $750 fine and $130 court costs.
Crown lawyer Natalie Walker said the police case was that Willis and Rawnsley illegally crossed the border to go to a family holiday house in Wānaka, under the guise of delivering hay to a property in Hamilton.
"The true purpose of leaving Auckland was to travel to a family home in Wānaka."
William Willis and Hannah Rawnsley admitted failing to comply with Covid-19 health orders in August. (Source: 1News)
Reading out the summary of facts, she said the pair had received travel exemptions to travel from Auckland to Waikato as essential workers.
They booked flights for Thursday September 9 on Jetstar from Hamilton to Wellington and then on to Queenstown on an Air New Zealand flight.
After the pair crossed the border, showing their exemptions to officers at the Mercer checkpoint, they were taken by an associate to Hamilton Airport and made their way to Queenstown.
There, they hired a rental car, provided a false address, and drove to the house in Wānaka.
They later received a negative test result from a test they took in Auckland prior to leaving.
The following day, Friday September 10, the police received a complaint via their 105 online reporting portal, and police began investigating.
"They came looking for me at the farm - someone has narked," Willis texted an associate.
On Sunday September 12, they were told by police to return to Auckland where they would receive a court summons.
They flew back that day.
Walker said from a public health perspective the courts should denounce all Covid-19 offending, as it "could jeopardise the entire [Covid-19] response".
She said the offending was premeditated and planned, posed a public health risk, travel exemptions were used unlawfully, the offending lasted for four days, and they tried to hide the offending.
Defence lawyer Rachael Reed, who represented both Willis and Rawnsley, said the pair are "deeply sorry" and "will regret making this trip for the rest of their lives".
"They felt very clearly the wrath of the public.
"They have shown accountability by pleading guilty on the first appearance."
But Reed said her clients had been "attacked" on social media since in a way that was "unacceptable and inhumane".
"All I ask before this court is for some perspective, measure and balance to be applied to their situation, in the cold hard light of day."
The case has been overseen by Wellington-based judge, Bruce Davidson, as Willis' mother is Auckland-based District Court Judge Mary-Beth Sharp.
Judge Davidson also sentenced the pair today.
“Clearly what you did was planned and premeditated," Judge Davidson told the pair. But he noted they were both first offenders, with no previous convictions.
He did not believe there was a risk of re-offending.
He described the response from the public on social media was some of the "nastiest" he had ever seen, and described some media organisations, including those he said were filming outside their residence, as "disturbing".
Willis was convicted and fined $750, plus $130 court costs, while Rawnsley was discharged without conviction if she agreed to donate $500 to a registered charity in the next two weeks.
They smiled and hugged each other following the sentencing, while Rawnsley quietly cried.
Judge Davidson had excused the pair from appearing in person today, and instead appeared by video link.
He declined media applications to film the court proceedings, noting his concerns about the attention at the time of the incident and that "virtually all social media and citizen journalism “reporting” [was] unbalanced, irrational, nasty and at times threatening".
"While I accept all these media applicants will act responsibly, I have no such confidence in social media," said Judge Davidson.
"By allowing in-court coverage it seems to me I am really undermining the principle of open justice and providing visual fuel for the social media firestorm."
The pair had previously released a media statement on Tuesday September 14 just prior to name suppression lapsing.
"The decision that we took to travel to Wānaka last week was completely irresponsible and inexcusable," they said.
"We are deeply sorry for our actions and would like to unreservedly apologise to the Wānaka community, and to all the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, for what we did."
In the same statement the pair claimed they received negative Covid-19 test results prior to leaving, which Natalie Walker said was not true.
The guilty pleas were entered through their lawyer Reed, who asked for a conviction to be entered for Willis but not Rawnsley.
The hearing will continue this afternoon.
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