People Who Attended Illegal Melbourne Engagement Party Will Cop $350,000 In Fines

Police are expecting to dish out $350,000 worth of fines for people who attended an illegal engagement party in Melbourne.

Outrage has been sparked after footage showed dozens of people gathered together to celebrate a couple's future wedding plans.

Nearly 70 people are believed to have gone to the party.

In a speech, the alleged groom-to-be thanked everyone for coming and even joked about how the party is against the rules as the city is in lockdown.

"Clearly this is legal because this is a group therapy session, that's why my father's here," he said.

Two people who were at the party have since tested positive for coronavirus and authorities are worried it will now be a super-spreader event.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is furious and even dropped the S-bomb while criticising everyone who attended.

"What makes me really angry about it is that there are 69 people at that event and, no matter what you are told or what you read, the facts are these: There has been transmission at that event. There has been transmission at that event," he said.

"Above all, the thing that makes me angriest is that that event, that sort of conduct and some of the behaviour we've seen over the weekend is it takes away and it devalues the amazing work that millions and millions of Victorians are doing.

"These are s****y choices."

"The notion you can have a party and a gathering and not finish up in trouble, that is not a smart judgement.

"Our contact tracers who are working their guts out for all of us will have to spend literally thousands of hours dealing with hundreds and thousands of people connected to that engagement party."

Victorian Police Commissioner Shane Patton said they will be throwing the book at every single person who attended the event.

Fines of up to $5,500 will be dished out to each attendee and the total bill is expected to be around $350,000.

But Commissioner Patton said this wasn't the only party or gathering of concern.

Despite Melbourne being in lockdown for several weeks now, people still aren't getting the message to stay home and there were 22 new cases of the virus reported yesterday.

"We have seen so many different breaches, it is ridiculous, it has to stop," Mr Patton said. "They are trying to get around the rules and guidelines. It is totally unacceptable and everybody knows they're doing the wrong thing."

Featured Image Credit: Twitter

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie