Gym Owner Accused of ‘breaking Covid Rules’ Beats £1,000 Fine
A gym owner who was fined £1,000 for allegedly breaching lockdown rules has had his case dismissed at trial.
Jack Ramsay, owner of Ramsay Fitness, was originally given the fine for allegedly holding a group training session under a purpose-built marquee in his gym's car park at a time when coronavirus restrictions placed limits on fitness activities.
However, Ramsay claimed that the marquee, which cost him £1,000 to install, had a cleaning schedule in place and ventilation that met guidelines set by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity. Social distancing was also in place and hand sanitiser stations were in operation.
On going to court, Ramsay told The Metro: "I’m massively relieved and a bit bemused as well. I went to court to contest the £1,000 fine but I didn’t even make it into the room, the case was dismissed pretty much as soon as I got there.
"A court official came out into the communal area and asked me why I was pleading not guilty. I told her why and that I’d collected the evidence and she popped her head back out of the door and said I could go home.’
Ramsay's case has been reported as the government is embroiled in an inquiry into parties held during lockdown, including the ‘bring your own booze’ event on May 20, 2020. Knowing what he knows now, Ramsay feels it's unjust that businesses like his were punished.
"I feel a bit aggrieved that the government has shown on so many occasions that they were negligent towards the rules whereas a small business like mine which has suffered so much during Covid gets fined £1,000 on the spot when we’ve done nothing wrong," Ramsay said.
"I’m not the kind of person to lay on my back and say “no sir, yes sir”, so I wanted to prove to people that I’d done nothing wrong and I went to court to prove it. And lo and behold I came out on top like I knew I would. I hope it sets an example to other people."
Ramsay wasn't the only gym owner to keep his facility open during the Covid-19 lockdowns. The owners in the video at the top of this page did too – and like him, they didn't take it lying down either.
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