Salon owner facing £27,000 fine after quoting Magna Carta to defy lockdown
A salon owner who refused to close during England’s current lockdown has been given a £27,000 fine. Sinead Quinn, who runs Quin Blakey Hairdressers, was initially fined £1,000 for staying open after November 5.
She stayed open and further fines were issued. She tried to use the Magna Carta as a defence of her decision to stay open. However, the law she cited – Clause 61, offering 25 barons the right to lawfully dissent or rebel if they thought they were being governed unjustly – was repealed and never incorporated into English law.
Kirklees Council ordered her to pay £4,000 on Saturday and police issued another two £10,000 fines when she opened again on Monday and Tuesday.
Quinn had previously shared videos of herself arguing with council officials and police on Instagram. In one clip she could be seen telling them she didn’t consent to the ‘unlawful’ fines, and cited ‘common law’ in her defence. On Tuesday Quinn shared a picture of a police car outside the salon and captioned it: ‘This is what your tax paying money goes toward. Sitting outside my business whilst I’m lawfully earning a living.’ In another video she accused the police of ‘stalking’ her.
Hairdresser Sinead Quinn She previously put the Magna Carta up in the salon’s door (Picture: Instagram) Police fine the salon Officers have visited the salon twice this week (Picture: Bradford T&A / SWNS)
Kirklees is currently among the most infected areas in England, with a rate of 446.4 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to November 19. The council said in a statement: ‘It is absolutely crucial for people’s safety that we all follow the latest Covid-19 rules and guidance. ‘Kirklees currently has the fifth highest rates in the country, with 135 people admitted to hospital last week and 25 sadly losing their lives to a Covid-19 related death.
The salon sign The Magna Carta can not be used as a defence in court (Picture: Bradford T&A / SWNS) Quinn Blakey Hairdressing, on Bradford Road, Oakenshaw is visited by two PCSOs as they appeared to be staying open in defiance of lockdown restrictiond, November 10 2020. See SWNS story SWLEhair.
A hair salon appears to have rebelled against the current lockdown rules by staying open despite the tightened coronavirus restrictions. Quinn Blakey Hairdressing, on Bradford Road, Oakenshaw, was seemingly open for business yesterday and at one point, police community support officers arrived at the premises.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered certain businesses – including hairdressers – to close from November 5 in the face of rising Covid-19 cases. On the same day, a post on the salon?s Facebook page said: ?I earned this week?s rent today, not sure where I would be pulling that money from given the government want self employed business people to wait SIX WEEKS for a payment. She has received £27,000 in fines (Picture: Bradford T&A / SWNS)
‘The law set by the Government is there so we can bring infection rates down, ease pressure on our health services and save lives. ‘But it only works if we all stick to it and realise that no one is above the law. Frankly, the actions taken by this business are selfish and irresponsible. ‘We will not hesitate to take action on anyone who breaches the rules that are in place to keep us all safe. Repeated breaches of Covid-19 regulations result in ever increasing fines up to £10,000 and eventually prosecution.’
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Salon owner facing £27,000 fine after quoting Magna Carta to defy lockdown
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