Dominic Cummings may have made ‘minor’ lockdown breach but stayed ‘socially distant’ & faces no further action, say cops
DOMINIC Cummings may have committed a "minor" breach of lockdown rules but no further action is needed, Durham police said today.
The PM's top aide might have broken rules when he made a 50-mile trip to Barnard Castle, Durham cops confirmed, but he did stay socially distant from others.
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After an investigation they said that they did not think that his original 260-mile trip to Durham had broken the coronavirus laws.
Mr Cummings, who went to Durham from London during the lockdown in case he was too sick to look after his young child, took the journey to the local tourist hotspot after recovering from the illness.
He made the trip on April 12, Easter Sunday, and said he needed to test his eyesight to make sure he was fit enough to make the return trip back to his London home.
Durham Police said: "Durham Constabulary have examined the circumstances surrounding the journey to Barnard Castle (including ANPR, witness evidence and a review of Mr Cummings’ press conference on 25 May 2020) and have concluded that there might have been a minor breach of the Regulations that would have warranted police intervention.
"Durham Constabulary view this as minor because there was no apparent breach of social distancing."
They said that if police had stopped him they would have provided "advice on the dangers of travelling during the pandemic crisis".
And had this advice been accepted by Mr Cummings, "no enforcement action would have been taken".
This implies that he would not have faced a fine - even if the cops had stopped him.
The aide claimed he had acted reasonably to make sure he was near family members if he and his wife became too ill.
The police force said their approach was "in line" with their actions towards other members of the public, and he has got no special treatment.
Durham Constabulary has not taken retrospective action against any other person, they said.
And they said there was "insufficient evidence" to support the claim Mr Cumming made another trip up to Durham on April 19.
The aide has himself denied this.
"Therefore Durham Constabulary will take no further action in this matter and has informed Mr Cummings of this decision," they concluded.
A No10 spokesman said today: "The police have made clear they are taking no action against Mr Cummings over his self-isolation and that going to Durham did not breach the regulations.
"The Prime Minister has said he believes Mr Cummings behaved reasonably and legally given all the circumstances and he regards this issue as closed."
The PM has backed his aide, saying he acted lawfully and reasonably to protect his child.
Mr Cummings made the trip alongside his wife, Mary Wakefield, who become ill before him.
The pair self-isolated with their son at a farm house near his parents - but they never came into contact with them.
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Boris Johnson has insisted he will stick by his aide and he believes he acted reasonably and with integrity.
Yesterday he urged the nation to "move on" from the row and get on with dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
But dozens of MPs have spoken out against him - and even demanded he resign.
Mr Cummings has himself said he has no intention of offering it up.
Durham Constabulary press statement in full
On 27 March 2020, Dominic Cummings drove to Durham to self-isolate in a property owned by his father.
Durham Constabulary does not consider that by locating himself at his father’s premises, Mr Cummings committed an offence contrary to regulation 6 of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020. (We are concerned here with breaches of the Regulations, not the general Government guidance to “stay at home”.)
On 12 April 2020, Mr Cummings drove approximately 26 miles from his father’s property to Barnard Castle with his wife and son. He stated on 25 May 2020 that the purpose of this drive was to test his resilience to drive to London the following day, including whether his eyesight was sufficiently recovered, his period of self-isolation having ended.
Durham Constabulary have examined the circumstances surrounding the journey to Barnard Castle (including ANPR, witness evidence and a review of Mr Cummings’ press conference on 25 May 2020) and have concluded that there might have been a minor breach of the Regulations that would have warranted police intervention. Durham Constabulary view this as minor because there was no apparent breach of social distancing.
Had a Durham Constabulary police officer stopped Mr Cummings driving to or from Barnard Castle, the officer would have spoken to him, and, having established the facts, likely advised Mr Cummings to return to the address in Durham, providing advice on the dangers of travelling during the pandemic crisis. Had this advice been accepted by Mr Cummings, no enforcement action would have been taken.
In line with Durham Constabulary’s general approach throughout the pandemic, there is no intention to take retrospective action in respect of the Barnard Castle incident since this would amount to treating Mr Cummings differently from other members of the public.
Durham Constabulary has not taken retrospective action against any other person.
By way of further context, Durham Constabulary has followed Government guidance on management of alleged breaches of the regulations with the emphasis on the NPCC and College of Policing 4Es: Engage, Explain and Encourage before Enforcement.
Finally, commentary in the media has suggested that Mr Cummings was in Durham on 19 April 2020. Mr Cummings denies this and Durham Constabulary have seen insufficient evidence to support this allegation.
Therefore Durham Constabulary will take no further action in this matter and has informed Mr Cummings of this decision.
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