A Christchurch man who filmed himself deliberately sneezing and coughing on people at the height of New Zealand's COVID-19 crisis has revealed a relative died from coronavirus in an emotional apology letter sent from prison.
Raymond Coombs, 39, was fined $750 in June for endangering life by criminal nuisance and obstruction of a medical officer of health. He was also handed a 16-month jail sentence for unrelated driving offences.
Coombs had been arrested in late March after uploading a video to Facebook of himself walking around the Fresh Choice supermarket at Barrington Mall, coughing and sneezing on shoppers.
In an earlier video, he'd claimed to be carrying coronavirus. The supermarket reported the videos to police, leading to his arrest, but a subsequent COVID-19 test came back negative.
Justice Raoul Neave, the Christchurch District Court judge who sentenced Coombs, advised him to apologise to the public for his actions - and he has now done so in a letter sent to Newshub from his prison cell.
In the missive, which Coombs' lawyer Kathy Basire confirmed to Newshub is legitimate, he admits to lying that he didn't know how serious the COVID-19 pandemic was.
"I told people after my offence that I had not followed the news and therefore had no idea just how serious this global pandemic actually was," he writes.
"This was untrue. I had every idea and I did what I did regardless. I am very embarrassed indeed."
Coombs singled out his friend's mother - one of the women shopping at the supermarket during his 'prank' - for an apology of her own, calling her a "kind and caring person".
He said he's "sincerely sorry" and has no excuse for how he behaved.
"I knew in the moment that what I was doing was highly offensive, rude and potentially imprisonable. I have spent much of my life being selfish, unreliable... arrogance is my middle name."
Coombs also revealed a relative had died from COVID-19, compounding his guilt.
"I would like to apologize to my own family. I feel ashamed. My uncle: your father died due to COVID-19. I will understand if I am never forgiven. I am eternally sorry."
Earlier this year, a spokeswoman for the supermarket told Stuff the man has apologised and claimed the video was a "drunken prank".
In April, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described Coombs as "an idiot" during a COVID-19 press conference.
"While compliance has been generally strong, there are still some I would charitably describe as idiots," she told reporters.
"A 38-year-old man, arrested last night after being seen on a video online coughing at people in a supermarket, I include in that description."
Coombs was sentenced to 16 months in prison, but he can apply for home detention once a bed at a residential rehabilitation centre becomes available.
Read the full letter below:
To whom this may concern,
Hello my name is Raymond Gary Coombs. I was responsible for pretending to sneeze on people at the Barrington Mall Fresh Choice Supermarket earlier this year.
I wish to apologize for my behaviour which offended so many people both here as well as far-reaching corners of the globe. I am above all else sincerely sorry and I actually have no excuse. I knew in the moment that what I was doing was highly offensive, rude and potentially imprisonable. I have spent much of my life being selfish, unreliable, arrogance is my middle name. I am as my ex-girlfriend ever so correctly voices, "the gift that keeps on giving".
One of the ladies at the supermarket was a friend's mum, a kind and caring person. I am sincerely sorry to you also, and equally.
I told people after my offence that I had not followed the news and therefore had no idea just how serious this global pandemic actually was. This was untrue. I had every idea and I did what I did regardless. I am very embarrassed indeed.
"Finally I would like to apologize to my own family. I feel ashamed. My uncle: your father died due to COVID-19. I will understand if I am never forgiven. I am eternally sorry. Rest in peace uncle.
Yours sincerely,
Raymond Gary Coombs
