Drunk woman had 20 people at illegal party

A DERBYSHIRE woman repeatedly misled police about having a party at her home as the county moved from Tier 1 to stricter Tier 2 restrictions.

Police found around 20 people at the party at a property in Heath Way, Hatton, on October 30, and were repeatedly blocked from entering the premises.

During the incident, Derbyshire moved from Tier 1 restrictions to Tier 2 restrictions, moving from up to six people being allowed to meet indoors to a ban on households mixing indoors and private gardens.

The case has come to light after a closed-doors court hearing in Derby last week.

Shelley Spendlove, aged 37, of Heath Way, Hatton, was handed an initial fine of £200 but this has been increased after she failed to pay it.

A police report was the sole piece of evidence used to decide Spendlove’s case, in a process called the Single Justice Procedure.

PC Benjamin Harvey in his witness statement, released to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, details that Spendlove repeatedly claimed she only had six people at her home.

However, officers could see up to eight people, including her, through her living room window and at least five further people in the garden.

Five or six people had been in the front garden, too, but left when the police arrived.

Spendlove, who is said to have been “heavily intoxicated” told police there were only six people in her property. When challenged on this, she said there were “definitely less than 10 people”.

When police asked to enter the property, “strongly suspecting” there were more than 10 people inside, a man, acting aggressively, said “no, you’re not coming in” and shut the door on the officers.

A younger man then opened the door, filming officers, and told police they were giving his mother anxiety.

PC Harvey reported that Spendlove appeared to be fine and was apologetic to officers and was “in no way distressed”.

Spendlove said she had had “quite a bit to drink” and refused to allow police into the property.

Police told the party attendees to disperse or face further fines.

Guests began to disperse at 00.30am on October 31, at which point Derbyshire was in Tier 2, counting around 20 people leaving the property.

At a private Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court hearing on June 9, Spendlove was handed total costs of £574, of which £440 was a fine, £90 was for court costs and a £44 victim surcharge.