A MAN who attended a protest against coronavirus lockdowns and encouraged others to join in using a megaphone has been fined.

Following requests by the Local Democracy Reporting Service for access to records of the cases, the identities of the offenders can now be revealed.

When the second national lockdown was announced at the start of November 2020, a series of protests were staged in Liverpool against the restrictions.

Each protest saw several hundred demonstrators descend on the city centre, including people from as far away as Lincolnshire and Hull, and were accompanied by several arrests and fines for breaching Covid restrictions.

So far, 10 people have been fined in behind-closed-doors hearings for taking part in the protests last November.

These included Christopher Crookes, 35, of Emily Street, Nutgrove, who was arrested near Salthouse Quay during the protest on November 14.

In a statement to the court, PC Christopher Daniels said attempts to detain Crookes, who was carrying a microphone and speaker and had been encouraging others to join the protest, led to other protestors attacking police officers.

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PC Daniels said he had begun to approach Crookes after seeing him in the crowd of “300 or 400 people” several times, but Crookes had attempted to run away.

The officer said: “I have immediately ran after the male taking hold of him by his arm.

“Upon doing this the male has become combative and began to resist making it impossible to deal with him at the side of the road. 

“This had also caused [the] crowd to turn on myself and other officers  and they have begun to start pushing and kicking at myself and the officers who [were] attempting to detain this male who was carrying the speaker.

“I have managed to take control of his arm along with other officers and begun to move the male towards [a] police vehicle which was a safer environment to deal with the male.

“Whilst moving the male to the police vehicle the crowd continued to attack myself and other officers.”

Crookes later calmed down and, despite initially refusing to give his details and claiming he had not committed a crime, eventually told officers who he was. He was then released and ordered to leave the area within 20 minutes.

Several other protestors dealt with in private hearings were found carrying megaphones and at least initially refused to provide their details.

These included Terence Oakes, 74, of Bishopdale Drive, Rainhill; Adam Stanley, 34, of Sonning Avenue, Litherland; Geza Tarjanyi, 60, of Leyland, Lancashire; and Mark Allison, 36, of Westgarth Avenue, Hull.

Meanwhile, 32-year-old Daryl Martin, of Hatherley Close, Toxteth, was described as being “one of the main instigators of the protest” on November 14 at which more than 20 people were arrested.

Nine of the protestors did not respond to the summons and were each fined £1,760 for breaching Covid regulations and order to pay £100 in costs and £176 as a surcharge towards victim services – a total of £2,036 each.

The only protestor to plead guilty to breaching Covid laws was Sean Steele, 21, of Grove Square, New Ferry.

PC Daniels, who also dealt with Steele on November 7, said Steele had been “shouting verbal abuse towards myself and my colleague” near King’s Dock.

The officer said: “The males [were] actively involved in the protest with the group of over 100 persons and thought that it was acceptable to be verbally abusive.

“The male did not provide a legitimate reason to be out and gave no explanation to why he was gathered with the protesters.”

Steele admitted taking part in an outdoor gathering of more than two people and was fined £800, plus £100 in costs and an £80 surcharge for victim services for a total of £960.