Probation for man who resisted arrest at illegal party

Friday 27 August 2021

A 20-year-old man has been given a six-month probation order for offences including possessing cannabis and resisting arrest at a covid-rule-breaking party at Greve De Lecq.

Harry Edward Thomas Larcombe-Strong was sentenced by Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu on Friday, having been charged with six offences.

They were: being drunk and disorderly, two counts of possessing Class B drug cannabis, and resisting arrest on two occasions, and breaching a probation order.

Larcombe-Strong, who was represented by Advocate David Steenson, was not given a separate penalty for the charge of breaching his probation order. 

One of the occasions of resisting arrest was at an illegal party at Greve De Lecq on 4 April.

At an earlier court hearing, Advocate Steenson had suggested that Larcombe-Strong had been subjected to "police brutality" as he was arrested at the party, having been "taken to ground and sprayed."

The holder of the party, Robert Baker, was fined £750 later that month for breaking the Covid-19 Gathering Control Order in force at the time, which prevented islanders from having more than 20 people in their homes.

Baker argued that he had only intended 15 people to come but that the party "got out of hand", with the number of guests reaching at least four times that.

At Friday's sentencing, Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu also ordered that the cannabis found in Larcombe-Strong's possession be destroyed.