Courts issue fines for breaches of pandemic lockdown restrictions

Cases include man who hid in a wardrobe at gathering and a prolific rule-breaker who pushed PC at a party

A MAN caught hiding in a cupboard at a flat where three households were mixing in lockdown has been fined.

It was one of three recent cases heard by magistrates concerning breaches of Covid lockdown restrictions.

Jason Goulding was caught at Middleton Mews in Station Road, Park Gate, around 8.20pm on March 3 this year.

PC Joanne Jones arrived at the flat to hear ‘several voices within’ and knocked on the door before she heard ‘hushing sounds’.

Everyone was ordered out — with four people inside. The resident asked everyone to leave apart from her own wife, and Goulding emerged.

In a witness statement to court, PC Jones said: ‘I pointed out the fact that they clearly knew they were doing something wrong if they were hiding in the wardrobe. Jason was apologetic for hiding.’

Everyone was given fines but Goulding was taken to court for not paying.

The 30-year-old, of Hinkler Road, Southampton, was found guilty in his absence of being at a gathering of two or more people.

A lone magistrate sitting behind closed doors fined him £1,760 with a £176 surcharge and £90 costs.

In the second case a beerdrinking lockdown flouter who smelled of cannabis was fined.

Nigel Fowler, 51, of Plymouth

Street, Somers Town, was caught on January 29 sitting on a bench with a pal ‘smoking a joint of cannabis’ and having a beer.

PC Samuel Davy was patrolling in Victoria Park, Portsmouth, at 3pm when he saw Fowler and another man.

In a court witness statement, he said: ‘I explained to Fowler that he could not be sat in a park, smoking cannabis and drinking a beer, and that it is not a reasonable excuse to leave his address.

‘He explained that he needed to leave the house for his mental health, and I explained that it was acceptable for him to go for a walk or similar, but drinking beer and smoking cannabis is not acceptable.’

Fowler had been warned previously, PC Davy said.

A lone magistrate convicted Fowler in his absence after he was taken to court.

Fowler must pay a £1,760 fine, a £176 surcharge and £90 costs. He was convicted of being out of his home in lockdown without a reasonable excuse.

In the third case a ‘prolific’ lockdown rule breaker tried to push a police officer out of a flat when he was caught at a party.

PC Laura Nelson was called to Eastern Road in Portsmouth on February 7 at around 9am after a report of a party.

An ‘intoxicated’ woman opened the door for the officer but while slurring her words denied there was anyone inside who should not be there.

Loud music was booming out and there were bottles of booze strewn around the flat.

PC Nelson said: ‘Upon entering the property I could see there was a person asleep on the sofa, a person asleep in one of the bedrooms and two further individuals asleep in another bedroom. All persons seemed intoxicated.’

There were claims everyone lived at the property - but they later admitted the two men did not.

Charlie Brown, 28, a boyfriend of one of the women, gave PC Nelson partially fake details.

PC Nelson said: ‘Brown was becoming heated and started trying to push me out of the address, at which time I told him to stop and asked for my colleagues to come to the address to assist.’

She then reported him for a Covid breach. In her court witness statement she added: ‘When I have carried out further checks on both males after the incident, it has shown that both are prolific offenders in matters of Covid and have received several tickets in recent weeks, and it is clear they are both fully aware of restrictions in place.’

Brown, of Cheltenham Road, Paulsgrove, was fined £1,760 with a £176 surcharge and £90 costs.

He was convicted in his absence by a single Hampshire magistrate of being at a gathering of two or more people.

I explained he could not be sat in a park, smoking cannabis and drinking beer.

PC Samuel Davy