Finla Coffee: Shop loses Covid-19 breach appeal but fine is halved

The coffee shop allowed customers to consume their food and drinks inside, breaching lockdown restrictions

A Devon coffee shop has lost its appeal against a Covid lockdown breach of regulations, but had its fines halved.

Finla Coffee had initially been fined £42,768 after breaching Covid laws in November 2020.

Its directors Michael Penslebury, 35, and Deanne Yates, 34, had allowed customers to eat and drink inside.

The judge reduced the £30,000 in fines to a total of £15,000, plus the legal costs of £12,000 from the original case and £4,000 from the appeal.

Yates had previously said the coffee shop wanted "to keep the vulnerable and lonely connected".

In July they were each convicted of failing to close and cease selling food and drink on their premises in Plympton on consecutive days in November 2020, as was the company.

'Disgraceful behaviour'

The firm was fined £1,000 on 6 November and £2,000 on 7 November for breaching regulations on allowing consumption of food and drink indoors, but had refused to pay, the court heard.

The court heard the owners had made a statement saying they were exempt from the regulations, citing Magna Carta.

District Judge Roderick Hine fined them saying this was "flagrant, intimidatory, ridiculous and disgraceful behaviour" following a "serial breach of regulations".

The couple and Finla Coffee appealed their conviction and sentence during a hearing at Plymouth Crown Court on Thursday and Friday.

Judge William Mousley QC dismissed their appeal saying that it was "not for this court to review the lawfulness of the regulations".

However, he reduced the fines before warning the directors that if they do not pay the fines within two months, they will be jailed for three months in default.