Woman devastated over £10,000 Sheffield lockdown party fine while Boris Johnson case ongoing

Sunny-Jo, aged 28, discovered her fine last month when payments were taken direct from her wages for the first time, after her Ecclesall Road home was raided by police back in February 2021.

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Although she admits she was wrong to have allowed a social event in her home, the discovery of her fine has left her upset that she has been punished while the Prime Minister is still under investigation for parties which were reported to have taken place at 10 Downing Street back in 2020.

The calls centre manager, who now lives in Chapeltown, was living on Ecclesall Road at the time of the party, in a house she shared with seven other people.

She said: “It was in lockdown, and I shouldn’t have had anyone round. But I had a few people round and it got out of hand. It was not organised for so many. But the police had me on body camera admitting some sort of liability.

“I didn’t hear anything after that, until I found a large chunk had been taken out of my wages, which was described as being for ‘enforcement’.”

Police raided house over party on Ecclesall Road in February 2021

She said had been in touch with the court, and was told there had been a court hearing. But she never knew about it, and believes that is because paperwork was sent to her previous address on Ecclesall Road.

She is now seeing £320 taken out of her wages every month, which is more than a fifth of her take-home pay. She trying to effectively appeal the fine with what is known as a ‘statutory declaration’.

"The fine was for a party of over 30 people,” she said. “I only invited eight people. I’ve spent days and days on the phone about this, and cried on the phone. It’s something I can’t afford.”

She said she was the only person being punished over the Ecclesall Road party.

Sunny-Jo had been struggling with her mental health during lockdown.

‘I said to my friends we should call the police’

"People started bombarding through the doors. I said to my friend we should call the police, but they said I’d get into trouble. In the end, the police came anyway,” she said.

"I understand I shouldn’t have had people round anyway. But with all those parties at Boris Johnson’s house in Downing Street it has left me cross. I’m baffled that he set the rules and they had parties at Downing Street. I’m angry and sickened that someone as rich and powerful has not yet been fined after so many parties were held there.”

She said she was aware that the Downing Street parties were being investigated by the police and the Sue Gray report.

She added: “After the Inquiry into Boris Johnson’s inability to stick to the restrictions set by his own Government, I am at a loss at the way I have been treated.

“There are no results and no movement on the case thus far, yet they are quick to penalise me for being on the brink of a mental health crisis.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Anyone who is fined without their knowledge should submit a statutory declaration to the court, which will mean the conviction is void and the case is reconsidered.”

Anyone who is convicted of an offence in their absence who was unaware of the proceedings can make a statutory declaration to that effect. On making the declaration the conviction is void and the procedure starts again. If the conviction is voided, all money taken will be paid back.

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