A defiant man who made a daring attempt to break free from a Melbourne quarantine hotel has vowed to refuse to pay a $19,000 fine, complaining he's been 'mistreated'.

In comical scenes, John-Lee Berridge, 24, made a bizarre bid for freedom on Boxing Day when he briefly 'escaped' from his room at the Tullamarine Holiday Inn.

Berridge managed to make it to the hotel car park, pushing past a security guard, before he was stopped by police and detained.

The interior designer, who was living in Maroubra, in Sydney's east, for the past 12 months was adamant he was being held in the hotel unnecessarily.

John-Lee Berridge (pictured above) is facing a whopping fine of $19,000 for attempting to flee from hotel quarantine in Melbourne

The interior designer (pictured above being detained by police) said he was 'mistreated' when in hotel quarantine 

He told the Herald Sun he filled out the paperwork for his travel permit correctly before flying into Avalon Airport at 7pm last Monday.

The deadline for Victorians returning from NSW was midnight last Monday, December 21, before the border shut after a resurgence of coronavirus infections in Sydney.

He claims health officials were 'reviewing his case' and he was told he would be free to leave hotel quarantine by Christmas Day last Friday.

When that didn't happen, Berridge decided to make a break for freedom.

'Being misinformed built my anxiety up, that's the reason why I decided to leave,' he said. 

'It just built up to too much I couldn't take it any more. Once I get to that stage I can't control myself.'

Berridge isn't remorseful for his behaviour, stating he looked to flee after being 'mistreated'.    

'I was given false hope every single day,' he said. 'It just dragged on for days, could have told me my exemption wasn't going to be accepted.'    

Berridge is facing a whopping $19,000 fine for the breach as well as $3,000 for his hotel quarantine cost - which he declared there is 'no way' he will pay.

He also plans to contest the breach in court.