Posted on 12/14/2021 7:07:52 PM PST by marshmallow
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On Thursday, Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had withdrawn its case.
'God came through'
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."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
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