Covid breach case against politician is dismissed
A POLITICIAN who faced prosecution for allegedly breaching strict lockdown rules will face no further action after a judge dismissed the case against him.
Neil McEvoy had been accused of breaking coronavirus regulations after going door-to-door in Cardiff in February this year while Wales was in Alert Level 4.
At the time people were prohibited from travelling outside of their local area without a reasonable excuse.
The Propel party leader, who had insisted he was doing “essential” work, turned up to Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on Monday to defend himself against the claims.
However, a judge dimissed the case after it emerged the prosecution had made errors in the way it had prepared the case.
Speaking in court, District Judge Stephen Harmes said: “This is appalling preparation by the CPS.
“If the Crown have not got their act together then they are going to suffer.
“This has absolutely no political overtones or undertones, I’m dismissing this case simply because of the rules and regulations.”
Mr McEvoy, who is also a county councillor in Cardiff, for the Fairwater ward, said he should never have been made to come to court in the first place.
Speaking outside court, he said: “This should have never been brought, it’s been a huge waste of public money.
“It’s also been a huge disruption to my life and the life of my family – which I believe is the purpose of the prosecution.
“The judge ensured that due process was followed and case law, the prosecution weren’t ready.
“They had no witnesses, they had the charge wrong, they hadn’t served me with the evidence.
“It’s absolutely shambolic.
“I’m so pleased that we have a justice system that we can have faith in and rely upon and I’m delighted to have been acquitted today.”
The Crown had alleged that Mr McEvoy had been in Caerau, Cardiff – away from his home in Fairwater – on February 15 while lockdown restrictions were in place.
However, Mr McEvoy claimed he had travelled to the area to assist a vulnerable person he was concerned about.
But prosecutors maintained that he was “still undertaking activities that were not reasonable for him to be away from his home” – claiming he was delivering leaflets to multiple addresses.
Following a complaint from a member of the public, two officers turned up to Mr McEvoy’s Cardiff home and “cautioned” him over his actions.
Speaking earlier this year, he said: “I think it’s clear to the public that when it comes to me, and my party Propel, policing is done very differently.
“If the law is there then the law has to apply equally to everybody.
“Mark Drakeford is having his leaflets delivered, paying a private company to do so, yet the chief constable is seeking to stop my leaflets being delivered by volunteers who are taking Covid precautions.
“Everyone has gloves, everybody has sanitiser, myself included.
“I’m just doing my job, that’s the irony. You’ve got politicians (drinking) in the Senedd contrary to Covid regulations and nothing is being done – no cautions – nothing at all.”
Mr McEvoy had been a member of the Senedd between 2016 and 2021.
He stood in the Cardiff West Constituency in last May’s Senedd elections, but failed to be elected after coming fourth behind Labour, the Conservatives and his former party Plaid Cymru.
The Crown Prosecution Service accepted that it served the evidence late.
A spokesman said: “We applied to the court for time for the witness to attend later on the morning of the trial but the judge ruled that the case should proceed immediately.
“We respect his decision and will carefully review and address what went wrong in this case.”