Derbyshire Police drop grieving man's £10k fireworks fine

Connor Wilton feared he would get a criminal record

Police have dropped a £10,000 fine they issued to a grieving man who attended a fireworks display honouring his dead friend.

The fireworks were a tribute to Tyrone Forde, who died in a crash on the M1.

Derbyshire Police claimed Connor Wilton had broken coronavirus regulations by organising a large gathering of people - but he insisted he was not behind the event.

After reviewing the evidence, police have decided to take no further action.

'Literally naked'

Mr Wilton, 24, from Shirebrook, said he was relieved but the experience had affected him mentally.

"They came to my house in force, and they sat me down, three or four of them, and read me this letter out while I was literally naked," said Mr Wilton, who had been in bed when police arrived.

"They said I'd got a £10,000 fine for organising the event and I said 'What the hell? I have not done that'.

"I've been feeling so down lately, because it was a grieving situation and £10,000 on my head is a bit mad, which didn't help my mental health at all."

'Unfair system'

Police issued Mr Wilton with a fixed penalty notice (FPN), which is meant to be an alternative to prosecution.

However, he could not afford to pay the £10,000, so he could have been prosecuted and ended up with a criminal record.

The Joint Committee on Human Rights - a group of MPs and peers - has raised concerns about the use of FPNs under coronavirus regulations.

The committee's chair, Harriet Harman MP, said there was an "unfair system with clear evidence that young people, those from certain ethnic minority backgrounds, men and the most socially deprived are most at risk".

She said: "Whether people feel the FPN is deserved or not, those who can afford it are likely to pay a penalty to avoid criminality.

"Those who can't afford to pay face a criminal record along with all the resulting consequences for their future development. The whole process disproportionately hits the less well-off and criminalises the poor over the better off."

The fireworks were a tribute to Tyrone Forde, who died in a car crash on the M1

The fireworks display was held on a field next to Shirebrook Leisure Centre on 5 April.

Police said more than 400 people attended the gathering, while Mr Wilton said there were closer to 200.

At the time, coronavirus regulations gave police the powers to issue £10,000 fixed penalty notices to people who organised gatherings of 30 people or more.

Police claimed Mr Wilton had "placed messages on social media encouraging people to attend the event", and this meant he was the organiser.

Mr Wilton accepted sharing details on social media, but said many other people had done the same.

"I have shared something that I have been asked to share like everybody else has shared, through honouring my friend," he said.

"There was at least 200 people there and they picked out me. Not one fine was issued to anyone apart from me."

Connor Wilton went to clean up after the fireworks display was held

Mr Wilton said the matter had been hanging over his head since April.

He eventually received a letter, dated 29 September, which said: "The issuing force have reviewed the evidence in relation to this fixed penalty notice and have subsequently made the decision to take no further action."

Mr Wilton also paid tribute to his friend, describing him as "a lovely boy".

"He's left a big hole in a lot of people's hearts," he said.

In a statement, police said they "thoroughly review all coronavirus prosecutions to ensure they are evidentially sound, fair, proportionate and in the public interest before the matter is taken to court".

The statement added: "Throughout the pandemic we have used appropriate legislation when required to protect the public and control the spread of the virus."