In a sobering investigation, the Telegraph reveals how ordinary citizens are still being hauled through the courts for Covid rule breaches – years after restrictions ended – despite many simply falling foul of unclear regulations. Here’s an excerpt:
According to data analysed by the Telegraph, around 130 people appeared before court for hearings related to alleged Covid breaches in the past six months.
One of those was Kensington-based artist Dodi Wexler, 55, an American expat who has lived in the UK for the past 25 years.
In December 2020, Mrs Wexler and her three teenage sons flew to Massachusetts for a short Christmas holiday and became stuck there after the UK went into its third lockdown in January 2021.
When the restrictions lifted that March, they were finally able to travel back to the UK after registering negative Covid PCR tests on February 26th in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.
But Mrs Wexler was confused about the UK’s entry requirements and mistakenly booked a day 5 PCR test – when the requirements at the time were for day 2 and day 8 PCR Tests.
After arriving at Heathrow, Border Force confirmed she had the wrong tests and she was instructed to buy the correct ones from a centre outside the airport for £840.
On December 3rd, 2022, more than a year-and-a-half later, she received four £1,000 fixed penalty notices (PCN) from Border Force, one for failing to possess a testing kit herself, and the other three for failing to possess kits for her children.
In a letter contesting the PCNs to Steve Dann, the then chief operating officer of Border Force, Mrs Wexler wrote: “I am writing to ask you to please consider having mercy on us with this charge. It is cripplingly expensive and we just don’t have this spare cash lying around. My children are innocent of this breach as well, It was I who messed up.”
Mr Dann wrote back giving her two options – pay the fine or face prosecution.
She fought the charge for almost two years before finally appearing over Zoom for a hearing at Stockport magistrates’ court in Nov 2024, where her fine was reduced to £400.
Mrs Wexler said the ordeal was “traumatising” and made her feel like a “criminal”. …
Separate Telegraph analysis of government data shows that, on average, 11 people were still being sentenced for coronavirus offences each month in the first half of 2024.
Of the 30,701 people sentenced through the courts, one in six (16%) were sentenced after all coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns were lifted in February 2022.
Two-thirds were sentenced in the period after July 2021, when the last major lockdown restrictions were lifted.
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Futile and comedic PCR tests, run at cycle-threshold values 12 orders of relevant magnitude above the maximum permitted for submission as DNA evidence in a court of law.
“The Science” was an ass and the experts, politicians and nannies spouting it were asinine.
I thought this stuff had times out or is that just for the politicians?
Grim Ace
6 days ago
Johnson should be out on trial for his incompetence snd cowardice, along with the scientists who advised, and the cabinet of his government. We must make criminal some behaviours of the establishment. They can get away with murder (many people died (not from covid) because of their idiotic, childish covid reaponse)
Midazolam Mat was responsible for a few thousand deaths which some understandably conclude amounted to murder.
robnicholson
6 days ago
I’d forgotten about this bit of complete madness – people been stranded abroad for over 3 months due to completely and utterly useless lockdowns.
But what also makes my blood boil is people making money out of people’s misery and charging £840 for PCR tests. A test that it looks like she’d already paid for but was slightly the wrong one. Incompetence of lockdowns I can ever so slightly understand as they were driven by very human traits but making money out of it!!
As far as I can tell, the only “positive” of those mad times were the poor got a darn sight poorer (and continue to with rampant inflation which was entirely predictable) and the rich got a lot richer.
IMO the COVID restrictions are up there with the most horrible events in the entire history of the human race. But people just want to brush it under the carpet.
Sounds like it’s Steve Dann who should be locked up and heavily fined for illegal activities based on a scam.
Peter Sutton
6 days ago
I can only guess that Mrs Wexler pleaded guilty following very poor legal advice, had she pleaded not guilty the court would not have a leg to stand on.
Given the evidence we now have about lockdowns, masks, PCR etc were she to go after Johnson and Hancock for any number of offences (including blatantly breaking lockdown rules) she would be successful.
Unfortunately though our corrupt legal and judicial system is way beyond the financial reach of the vast majority of people.
Cirdan
6 days ago
Ridiculous. It was so easy to fool the system. I really don’t understand those who got caught out.
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Going by the pseudoscience, the courts shouldn’t have a leg to stand on in a sane world.
As Buzz Lightyear nearly said, “But we’re not on a sane planet, are we? and proceed to thrash Woody.
Futile and comedic PCR tests, run at cycle-threshold values 12 orders of relevant magnitude above the maximum permitted for submission as DNA evidence in a court of law.
“The Science” was an ass and the experts, politicians and nannies spouting it were asinine.
The $cience.
Indeed… making money out of people’s misery is the lower form of human activity.
The real criminals should be up in front of the Beak at the International Court at The Hague for Crimes Against Humanity.
We all know who they are.
Forget The Hague!
££££££££££££££
Let me Guess, if she’d flown in from Lahore It would have been “move along please, nothing to see here…”
It is shaming on the majority in Britain but no doubt hightly satisfying for the authoritarian left.
I like the illustration where all the “learned” scum are wearing face nappies.
I thought this stuff had times out or is that just for the politicians?
Johnson should be out on trial for his incompetence snd cowardice, along with the scientists who advised, and the cabinet of his government. We must make criminal some behaviours of the establishment. They can get away with murder (many people died (not from covid) because of their idiotic, childish covid reaponse)
Midazolam Mat was responsible for a few thousand deaths which some understandably conclude amounted to murder.
I’d forgotten about this bit of complete madness – people been stranded abroad for over 3 months due to completely and utterly useless lockdowns.
But what also makes my blood boil is people making money out of people’s misery and charging £840 for PCR tests. A test that it looks like she’d already paid for but was slightly the wrong one. Incompetence of lockdowns I can ever so slightly understand as they were driven by very human traits but making money out of it!!
As far as I can tell, the only “positive” of those mad times were the poor got a darn sight poorer (and continue to with rampant inflation which was entirely predictable) and the rich got a lot richer.
IMO the COVID restrictions are up there with the most horrible events in the entire history of the human race. But people just want to brush it under the carpet.
Sounds like it’s Steve Dann who should be locked up and heavily fined for illegal activities based on a scam.
I can only guess that Mrs Wexler pleaded guilty following very poor legal advice, had she pleaded not guilty the court would not have a leg to stand on.
Given the evidence we now have about lockdowns, masks, PCR etc were she to go after Johnson and Hancock for any number of offences (including blatantly breaking lockdown rules) she would be successful.
Unfortunately though our corrupt legal and judicial system is way beyond the financial reach of the vast majority of people.
Ridiculous. It was so easy to fool the system. I really don’t understand those who got caught out.