Judge dismisses case against McEvoy because prosecutors ‘have
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 dismissed 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, said he should never have been made to come to court in the first place. Speaking outside court, the former Plaid Cymru member 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.”
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 said 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.
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.”