Forest ban for five who helped organise rave

Five men were yesterday banned from entering Thetford Forest for their part in organising an illegal rave which brought misery to people living nearby.

The five, who admitted holding the rave near Elveden, were also banned from attending similar events for the next year and ordered to pay hundreds of pounds in court costs.

Sentencing the five men, district judge David Cooper said: “This is extreme thoughtlessness. It causes sheer misery to a large number of people who live in dread of just these sorts of events, which ruins their peace of mind and tranquil lives.”

The men involved in organising the event were all banned from the King's Forest following the rave, near Elveden, on April 30, which ended in violence following a raid by Suffolk police, Bury St Edmunds magistrates' court heard.

Samuel West, 21, of Little Melton Road, Hethersett; Anthony Hall, 20, of High Street, Brandon; David Graves, 20, of Ash Close, Hethersett; Stephen Singleton, 26, of Pretorial Cottages, West Acre; and Stephen Forster, 20, of Beccles Road, Lowestoft, were all banned from the forest for one year. The five were also banned from attending any unlicensed music events for one year and ordered to pay £300 costs each.

Hall was put under the supervision of probation officers for the next six months. All five pleaded guilty to carrying on an unauthorised licensable activity. Singleton and West were both ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid community service

Adelle Parker, 24 of Magdalen Street, Norwich, and Singleton admitted resisting or obstructing a constable in the execution of duty as the rave was broken up. Parker was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £300 costs.

Aaron Ward, 19, of Fairland Terrace, Hingham, admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of, or to produce, violence. He was fined £300 and ordered to pay £300 costs.