Earlier this month Reynolds Dube, from Alkimos, pleaded guilty to two charges of not complying with a COVID-19 related direction, as well as to charges of using offensive language near a public place or school, and assaulting and resisting an officer.

In court documents police said Dube tried to cross the border from Victoria at Albury on September 1 then twice in one night on September 7 - first at Rockton, then the Princes Hwy at Timbillica, south of Eden - without a valid permit each time.

Restrictions are in place at the border in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and a permit is required to cross.

The documents stated after Dube was refused entry at Timbillica and directed to return to Victoria he became aggressive and wrestled with several police officers.

The 27-year-old appeared over audio visual link in Bega Local Court on Tuesday, September 29 as he has been held in custody since his arrest on September 7.

Representing himself, Dube confirmed he was maintaining his pleas of guilty and said he understood he was likely to receive a jail sentence.

When handing down his sentence Magistrate Doug Dick explained to Dube the severity of the health crisis created by COVID-19, telling him "we don't know how to deal with it".

"There's a lot more to learn about COVID-19 as it spreads," he said.

"There's no existing immunity in our community and it's spreading exceptionally fast and wide."

He said on three occasions Dube had tried to cross the states' border while restrictions were in place, and of the 27,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia 20,000 of those were in Victoria.

"These laws which were enacted were enacted to protect all of us, every member of the public, including you," Magistrate Dick told Dube.

"My job is to send a really clear message to the community, that is if the court doesn't support the protection of public health then the court is failing the community."

He said Dube faced a maximum of six months' jail, but sentenced him to three months and fined him $300 for the offensive language charge.

Dube was expected to be sentenced two weeks ago, but that was delayed as at the time Magistrate Dick told Bega court he had been "showing symptoms" and was in isolation.

Following that mention in court, a Corrective Services NSW spokesperson told Australian Community Media a 27-year-old inmate at the South Coast Correctional Centre was tested for COVID-19 on September 8, but had been cleared and remained in isolation as a precaution.

Dube's prison sentence was backdated to the time of his arrest so he will be released in December

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