Northamptonshire Police secures conviction under new public order legislation

Northamptonshire Police has become one of the first police forces in the country to secure a conviction for the offence of going equipped to lock on, under Section 2 of the Public Order Act 2023.

On July 1 last year, the Force was called to the English Greyhound Derby at Towcester Racecourse to facilitate a peaceful protest, which passed off without incident ahead of the start of the racing.

However, once the racing began, a small number of the protesting group broke onto the race circuit and attempted to storm the track. They were arrested as a result. 

Four of them were subsequently charged with obstructing/disrupting a person engaged in a lawful activity – Alexandra Dunnet, aged 24, of Market Place, East Finchley, Edward Allnutt, aged 42, Sasha Joliffe, aged 46, and Joseph Moss, aged 21, all of no fixed abode.

Allnutt was also charged with going equipped to lock on.

All four were found guilty at Northampton Magistrates Court earlier this month (February 9) and will be sentenced at the same court in April.

It is believed that Allnutt’s conviction for going equipped to lock on is one of the first in the country.

Chief Inspector Pete Basham, who oversaw the policing of the protest, said: “I am really pleased with these convictions and the fact that we are a trailblazer in regards to Edward Allnut’s conviction in particular.

“I want to thank everyone who worked on this operation including the planning team in our Joint Operations Team as well as the officers from Neighbourhoods, Response and our volunteer Special Constabulary. 

“It is always difficult securing convictions in the early days of new legislation as the judiciary are learning about the offences at the same time as we are, and there is no case law or previous rulings to guide them. So to secure this result is a real positive for us and reflective of the work put in.”