A Brighton man was one of three to be charged after an illegal rave at a nature reserve just outside Lewes.
Spencer Whale, 43, an unemployed man, of Beaconsfield Road, Brighton, was charged with causing a public nuisance and was due appear before Brighton magistrates today (Tuesday 27 June).
Sussex Police said: “Police were made aware of an illegal rave taking place at Malling Down Nature Reserve between Lewes and Ringmer shortly after midnight on Saturday (24 June).
“Around 100 people and 20 vehicles were in attendance. A police presence at the location was maintained and active measures were taken to seek to prevent it escalating further. The B2192 was closed to prevent more people joining.
“Four people received minor injuries, three from being involved in a fight and one from being bitten by a dog.”
Superintendent Jayne Dando said: “Raves can cause a huge amount of disruption to local residents and damage to the land.
“We’d like to thank local people who called us as the site was a remote area of land.
“We were able to prevent more people joining the rave but due to the number of people we weren’t able to remove everyone from the site.
“We remained on site for the whole night and monitored the situation. We were able to arrest and charge those we believed were the organisers of the event.
“Let us know immediately if you have any suspicion that a rave is going to take place or is getting under way.”
As well as Whale, two other men were charged and due to be brought before the bench in Brighton today. They were
Graham Davis, 39, an electrician, of Ballards Lane, London, who was charged with causing a public nuisance
Liam Alexander, 27, a tree surgeon, of High Street, Partridge Green, near Horsham, who was charged with having an offensive weapon
This article is incorrect. The court date is next month.
what the police won’t mention was that they let the party goers be attacked by “locals” with knives and bats and knuckledusters. they watched and did nothing – the rave was not legal BUT two wrongs do not make a right. in terms of the rave, the nuisance was caused to nobody. as usual, site was left spotless. nobody but the attacking “locals” lived nearby. however, assault and battery was committed against people who have committed no crime but to enjoy an event which was not licensed. those people who condemn, remember raves were illegalised by Thatcher, and before that were simply parties… I would say GBH is a far more serious crime than partying but then, the police know who they would rather criminalise and who they are afraid of standing up to.
It’s a nature reserve. Several rare bird species nest there, and it’s nesting season. The disturbance may well have caused them to abandon their eggs or chicks, at least long enough for them to die of cold or be found by predators.
But carry on with your “no victim, therefore no crime” schtick, sonny.
What an absolute joke. Criminalsing people having fun due to a lack of reasonable entetainment services in the UK. I’ve been told that effectively the council have cut their culture department to less than a few employee’s, while licensing and noise complaints departments are in double figures of staff. Venues are either closing or getting stupidly expensive/corporate and whether the council like it or not, the raves will continue and the nusiance will get worse until they recognise the issue of gentrefication in our proud county. We want to enjoy music in a way that’s entertaining, not be forced to line up into a venue with the same nighly playlist and restriced rules with expensive drinks. Not a single stuck-up “local” with a fancy house is going to change that.
Dear Fishwife,
As indicated above, I never claimed there was no crime. I do not set out with the intention of trying to prove raves harm absolutely nothing or no one, but I will always make the effort to represent our side of events, and tell the parts of the story which are deliberately glossed over by a media which cannot even get its dates right. OTHER crimes were committed, namely GBH with Intent, which is a very serious crime (sentencing treats GBH far more seriously than causing a “public” nuisance) – yet nothing was done to deal with them. Perhaps you are also of the mindset that attendees deserved to be hospitalised with injuries, merely due to the fact they attended; I wouldn’t say that is a particularly healthy stance towards violence, however.
Well that really IS putting words into my mouth.
Also, for all her many faults and socially destructive acts, raves weren’t “illegalised” (sic) by Thatcher: they were criminalised as part of Michael Howard’s 1995 Criminal Justice Act, under John Major. I was there, fighting for the right to free assembly (and the right to party) before you were born, son.