27 Sep 2021

Man accused of forging text to say he had Covid enters no plea

7:39 pm on 27 September 2021

The man accused of falsifying a text to state he was Covid-19 positive did not make a plea when he appeared at Hamilton District Court today.

Hamilton District Court

Hamilton District Court Photo: RNZ

Devon Stock, 27, was last week charged with editing an official text message which said he returned a negative Covid-19 test result.

The Ministry of Health said Stock undertook a Covid-19 test on 20 September and received his negative result two days later.

Police said the accused then contacted a number of people informing them he had tested positive and one of them contacted police.

This caused unnecessary stress in the Cambridge community, police said.

Stock did not make a plea and has been remanded to reappear in court next month.