Northern Ireland

PSNI blunder saw student handcuffed over Covid regulations

Police patrol the Holylands area of south Belfast. Picture Mal McCann.
Police patrol the Holylands area of south Belfast. Picture Mal McCann. Police patrol the Holylands area of south Belfast. Picture Mal McCann.

A UNIVERSITY student, who was fined over the pitch invasion at the Tyrone Senior Football final last month, was handcuffed and taken into custody after police wrongly accused him of breaking Covid regulations a second time.

The Queen’s student, who also plays for a GAA club in the Dungannon area, was among three to be arrested by police in the past week after they misinterpreted new legislation. He was among a number of fans fined following the pitch invasion at Healy Park in Omagh when supporters ran onto the pitch after Dungannon Clarkes’ beat Trillick.

He was arrested following a routine police check at a house in the Holylands area of Belfast and accused of a second breach as there were five people together in the property.

When it emerged the student had been previously fined, he was taken away in handcuffs and placed in a cell at Musgrave Street station.

He was left fearing the prospect of a criminal prosecution, for what he believed was a lawful gathering given there was fewer than six people present.

Having initially saying they were charging the teenager with a breach of the Covid regulations, the PSNI had to seek advice from Stormont lawyers after their reading of the legislation was questioned by Peter Corrigan of Phoenix Law.

Two days later two more students from Co Derry were also arrested accused of breaches under the protected postcode legislation, but again were released after the application of the legislation was questioned by Mr Corrigan.

Police say files on all three will now be sent to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

There has been a clampdown in the Holyland area of south Belfast after hundreds of students and young people held parties and street gatherings in September.

The PSNI and Belfast City Council patrols have been monitoring the area ever since, leading to a reduction in house parties.

Mr Corrigan said legislation, drawn up to deal with the rise in Covid cases, is being misinterpreted by police at the risk of leaving young people with criminal records.

Mr Corrigan said it was "deeply concerning that the police have effected unlawful detentions on the basis of misinterpretation of the law, with the potential criminalisation of young, vulnerable people with bright futures".

"It raises concerns of other potentially unsafe prosecutions that may have occurred that we aren't aware of," he said

All three teenagers are now expected to lodge civil proceedings for unlawful detention.

In response a PSNI spokesperson said: "Over the last week, three people have been arrested in the Holyland area of south Belfast on suspicion of breaking Covid regulations.

" A 19-year-old male was arrested just before midnight on 7 October and two 18-year-old males were arrested in the early hours of 9 October.

"Each of the males were subsequently released pending reports to the Public Prosecution Service."