Pastor's joy as £10k Covid fine for church meet dropped

Prosecutors have dropped their case against a pastor who was handed a £10,000 fine for holding a church gathering in a pub car park.

Chizumie Dyer, 47, was handed the fine for holding a meet-up in February in Bardney Drive in Bulwell, Nottingham.

Although the country was in lockdown at the time, the pastor argued it was a religious event and so exempt.

On Thursday, Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had withdrawn its case.

No reason was given.

Pastor Chez, as she is known, told the BBC outside court she was "thrilled".

"I had a big sense of relief," she said.

"I had no idea it was going to be dropped but I expected God to come through."

She said the Church on the Streets service on 20 February had been outdoors and had been risk assessed.

She also said she had spoken to the police about it beforehand and had been surprised when they arrived with two riot vans.

The gathering, which the prosecution said involved more than 30 people, had taken place while the country was in a third national lockdown.

But people were allowed to gather at places of worship, which could include sites usually used for other things.

Pastor Chez added: "We have a mission to reach people with the good news of Jesus, we were reaching out to the homeless, to drug addicts - to be treated like a criminal for doing that was absolutely devastating.

"This has been a waste of the court's time, a waste of my time."

She had been convicted earlier in the year in her absence.

But her legal team said she had received no correspondence from the court until a letter informed her she had to pay £16,275.

She appealed and the case was reopened.

But at a brief hearing the prosecution informed magistrates it was withdrawing it.

The Christian Legal Centre, which supported the pastor, said the state would now have to pay its legal costs of about £2,000.

"We are delighted that common sense has finally prevailed and that the huge fine will not have to be paid," said chief executive Andrea Williams.

"It is a state overreach to shut down churches and their ministries, when they are very often the final hope."

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said enforcement action was taken as a "last resort" to keep the public safe.

The CPS said it had not received the case until November and its withdrawal was a matter for the force.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].