THE DAD of a teenager fined £10,000 for a covid-flouting house party said a dark cloud was lifted – as the case was thrown out of court.

Devizes schoolboy Isaac Parsons was fined after a school leaving bash he had for a few friends got out of control with gatecrashers last September.

But at a case management hearing at Swindon Magistrates' Court yesterday the district judge dismissed the case against the teenager, now studying for an arts degree in Scotland.

Speaking exclusively to the Adver’s sister paper the Gazette & Herald, the young man’s father Martin Parsons said 'a dark cloud has lifted' and that they were 'hugely relieved that it has all gone away'.

The case was reportedly dismissed by District Judge Joanna Dickens as the police had not followed proper procedure, with Mr Parsons’ lawyers claiming that the wrong sections of the law were cited in the original fixed penalty notice their client had been issued.

Martin Parsons, the young man’s father, said: "The moral of the story is it is really important that everyone follows the rules - including the police."

He said his son, now 19, has started university.

"We have had a few conversations about it," said Martin.

"He knows he was stupid in the first place to have a party, but we are all pleased this matter is behind us now."

The family vowed to fight the charge as soon as it was issued when a school leavers’ party on Wick Lane was gatecrashed by a large number of people, said to have been drinking in a Devizes pub.

They lodged three complaints against Wiltshire Police, which imposed the fine, claiming the force made false allegations about the incident in a media statement.

At the time, the teenager’s dad said: “We were on holiday and my son who has just left school was told by us that he could have up to six people round.

“But instead he thought he and his friends could manage a social distancing party here for 20.

"One of the people invited someone else, who then invited a large number of gatecrashers. Our son tried to get rid of them and partially succeeded but some congregated on the road outside.”

The family said they had reported Wiltshire Police to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over the force’s handling of the incident.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said the force was “surprised” by the court’s decision to dismiss the case.