Coronavirus in Portsmouth: Drunk men fined £1,760 for Fratton street party with up to 6 women that breached Covid rules
TWO men have been fined £1,760 each after having an ‘impromptu’ party in the street with up to six women.
Both Andrei-Ionut Balint, 23, and George-Cristinel Ciobanu, 30, were called to Woodland Street, Fratton, at 11.10pm on January 31 - when England was still in Covid-19 lockdown.
PC Aaron Vardy said he and a colleague found a ‘street party’ taking place, with five to six women running off when they arrived.
Both men were ‘drunk’ and ‘drinking alcohol,’ he said.
‘Both males were having an impromptu party in the street, whilst not wearing face masks or adhering to social distancing.
‘Neither males seemed to care about police attendance, and seemed to find the whole thing funny.’
Both men were away from their homes and 'partying with numerous people from different households' so were reported for summons.
Ciobanu, of Manchester Road, Fratton, and Balint, of Newcome Road, Fratton, were found guilty in their absence of participating in an outdoor gathering of two or more people.
Each was fined £1,760 with a £176 surcharge and £85 costs by a lone Hampshire magistrate sitting in closed court assessing the case on papers alone.