Portsmouth beer drinker fined £1,700 after being caught in Victoria Park in lockdown

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.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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