Covid: Woman accused of Sheffield lockdown rave has case thrown out

A pistillate accused of hosting a rave during a coronavirus lockdown said tribunal proceedings had been "a con" aft the lawsuit against her was dropped.

Sunny-Jo Veasey, 28, of Sheffield, was accused of hosting much than 30 radical astatine her shared location successful February 2021.

She said the Crown Prosecution Service had withdrawn the lawsuit owed to a "defective charge", and was disquieted others were pressured into paying fines contempt "inconsistent" legislation.

The CPS has been contacted for comment.

Ms Veasey was alleged to person hosted a enactment successful her shared location connected Ecclesall Road connected 28 February 2021, erstwhile the state was taxable to restrictions.

At the time, this meant you could lone permission location for constricted reasons permitted successful law, specified arsenic to store for essentials, to enactment if you could not enactment from home, oregon to exercise.

Those recovered blameworthy could beryllium fined £10,000 nether the legislation.

In March, Ms Veasey was recovered blameworthy of the complaint successful her lack aft tribunal documents were sent to her aged address.

Ms Veasey, who represented herself, said video grounds showed 27 radical successful her location but maintained it was not a party.

She admitted she was successful the incorrect for inviting radical from extracurricular her household to the property, which she shared with 7 different people.

She added she would person paid a smaller good but felt the £10,000 good was unjust.

"It seems similar a spot of a con. They're trying to propulsion wealth retired of people, pushing radical done tribunal cases," she said.

"I deliberation it's a ample discarded of time. I've had galore tribunal cases, and they astir apt spent much connected these tribunal cases retired of the taxpayers' wealth than the good would person been successful the archetypal place."

She felt the CPS hoped radical would beryllium "scared" and wage the fines alternatively than effort to combat it, she added.

Days of probe utilizing Google helped her hole her case, but conscionable 2 days earlier she was owed successful tribunal the lawsuit was withdrawn.

"I was truthful relieved. I was implicit the moon. I consciousness free, similar I tin yet enactment this down me," she added.

Sheffield Magistrates' Court confirmed the lawsuit had been withdrawn.