FINES and costs of almost £2,000 have been handed down to dozens of Cumbrians who flouted national coronavirus rules by joining illegal gatherings.

The defendants included a woman caught at a meeting inside a Carlisle area church, where 30 people from 18 different households – including youths – were gathered in defiance of the rules.

Most defendants – dealt with by Carlisle’s Rickergate Magistrates’ Court – were given large fines.

They included:

* Georgina Beattie, 30, of Coney Street, Denton Holme, Carlisle: fined £1,760 with £85 costs. She was convicted of participating in an illegal gathering at her home on February 6, in breach of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) rules.

* Kate Mounsey, 36, of Honeypot Lane, Darlington: fined £1,760 with £85 costs. She participated in an illegal gathering in Carlisle on February 9 at St James Church, Cummersdale, near Carlisle. Records say there were 30 females (adults and youths) from 18 households. (The church was sold to a private buyer before the pandemic began).

* Melissa Heslop, 25, of Atkinson Crescent, Carlisle: : Fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering at Steamer Street, Barrow, on January 16.

* Anouska Chantelle Mary Hoskins, 29, of Newtown Meadows, Carlisle: : Fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering in Coney Street, Carlisle, on February 6.

Charlotte Stephanie Fry, 32, of Victoria Road, Penrith: Fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering in Victoria House, Victoria Road, Penrith, on February 19.

* Darren Jacques, 39, of Hutton Hill, Penrith: Fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering at Victoria House, Penrith, on February 19.

* Eren Turgay Zhini, 37, of Carleton Road, Penrith: Fined £1,760 with £85 costs for joining a gathering in Carleton Road on February 22. 

* Laura O’Shea, 41, of Clifford Street, Barrow: : Fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering at Kepple Street, Barrow, on New Year’s Day.

* Antony Coulthard, 39, of Shadygrove Road, Raffles, Carlisle: fined £1,760 with £85 costs. He was convicted of joining an illegal gathering at Marks Avenue, Raffles, on March 28, in breach of Covid regulations.

* Alin Gagiu, 36, of Thomson Street, Carlisle: fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering at 10pm on February 27 at his home. This was a house party with 11 other people present, the court heard.

* Casey Gray, 23, of Weardale Road, Carlisle: fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering at Stonegarth in a private dwelling.

* Mark Lansdowne, 52, of Highfield Avenue, Carlisle: fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering on March 17 at his address.

* William Downie Mason, 21, of Lime Kiln Walk, Barrow: : Fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering at Hartington Street, Barrow, on March 6. The gathering was a house part, at which there were six other people, the court heard.

* Christopher Murphy, 41, of Emlyn Street, Barrow: : Fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering at Rawlinson Street, Barrow, on February 3.

* Pauline Duglas, 26, of Adephi Court, Barrow: fined £1,760 with £85 costs. Convicted of participating in an illegal gathering at Rawlinson Street, Barrow, on February 3.

* Brooke Nicole Hartley, 21, of Devon Street, Barrow: : Fined £1,760 with £85 costs for participating in an illegal gathering in Devon Street, Barrow, on March 5. The gathering was in her home address, the court heard.

* Ian James Riddick, 41, of no fixed abode:  Fined  £1,760 with £85 costs for being an an illegal gathering on January 20 at Egerton Court, Barrow. 

* Kevin Liam Roberts, 20, of Baird Road, Carlisle: Fined £1,7650 with £85 costs for being at an illegal gathering on February 16 at Lindisfarne Street, Carlisle.

* Amjed Satar, 21, of Greenock, Inverclyde: Fined £1,760 for travelling on February 4 by train from Glasgow to Penrith to stay overnight his his nephew and family in breach of covid restrictions which at the time banned such overnight stays.  

* Gary David Small, 36, of Aglionby Street, Carlisle: FIned £1,760 with £85 costs, for joining a gathering in Lindisfarne Street, Carlisle, on January 22. 

* Mark George Braydon Warner, 23, of Lindisfarne Street: FIned £1,760 with £85 costs for joining a gathering in his home that consisted of more than two people on February 16.

* Mohammed Hamza Soobhan, 24, of Strone Road, London: Fined £1,066 with costs after he admitted breaching covid rules on March 20 by travelling to Carlisle outside where he was living in breach of the Tier 4 restrictions.

* Andrew Gordon Sutherland, 36, of Lindisfarne Street, Carlisle: FIned £1,760 with £85 costs for illegally joining a gathering at St John's Court, Carlisle, on February 2.

* Jodie Teale, 23, of Clay Street, Workington: FIned £1,760 with £85 costs for attending an illegal gathering on January 23 - a 'party' in her house involving four people. 

Some of the cases put before the court were adjourned, and others were thrown out. The latter included Kelvin Terrence Dixon, 35, of Waver Street, Silloth. An allegation that he took part in an illegal gathering at Esther Street, Carlisle, on March 17, was dismissed because of insufficient evidence, the court record shows.