A "supremely selfish" former BBC Radio 1 Xtra DJ has been fined for her involvement in a rave with 200 people, held days after a lockdown was announced.
Police were called by a resident complaining about the noise at a warehouse in Bethnal Green in November 2020 when the country was socially distancing.
City of London Magistrates’ Court heard self-styled “international DJ” Maressa Innerarity, who also goes by the name Carmen London, was not the event’s organiser but arrived with her own sound system.
Prosecutor Nathan Paine-Davey said this is enough to charge her with holding or being involved in holding a rave type gathering in England of more than 30 people indoors.
Innerarity admitted the offence on the first day of a trial.
The party was held three days before an alleged Downing Street flat party on the same day as Boris Johnson ’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, and communications director, Lee Cain, left their roles.
The prosecutor said: “This relates to November 7 and 8. The defendant has been charged with an offence against the public protection coronavirus restrictions regulations which were in force on November 5, 2020.
“On November 8, the police were called to Poyser Street as a result of a complaint of noise from a resident in the block of flats. They believed that there was some sort of event going on.
"When police arrived they met with local officers and they could hear loud music coming from the location and approximately 50 to 60 people in the street leading up to the location.
"A cordon was placed on the street. At that point, police entered the building and stopped the unlicensed music event.
"It is believed 180 to 200 people were in the premises. It's described as a squat - it's a warehouse-type building with very low ceilings."
The court was shown police body-worn footage of attendees “pouring out” of the venue after officers shut down the event.
Mr Davey-Paine said: "She accepted at the scene the music equipment was indeed hers and she was then warned she may well be prosecuted under the regulations.
"Clearly it was unlikely that that number of people would gather in such a space simply to have a chat.
"I don't say the defendant organised it but the presence of her musical equipment and obviously she has been employed as a disc jockey previously.
"There is no evidence she was in fact operating that equipment."
Eric Kawoya, defending, said Innerarity had been asked by two friends named 'Gabriel and Jamal' if they could borrow her sound equipment.
He told the court his client did not know the equipment would be used for a party.
Mr Kawoya said: "She packed them in the car and drove to the venue. She was not told what kind of function was taking place.
"When she arrived at the venue at the time the place was empty but as time went by, people started to arrive.
"She had cause for concern and she asked what was going on and they said to her not to worry.
"She then stayed around. She was not given any sort of money for this.
"She couldn't leave because she was concerned for the safety of the speakers and damage to the speakers."
The court heard Innerarity has not worked in two years and is on Universal Credit.
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District Judge Tim Godfrey said: "It was a loud gathering to all intents and purposes, a rave was held there.
"It was sufficiently disturbing to neighbours that police were called.
"Most significant of course this was during the national lockdown that began on November 5.
"That is a fact of which you were aware as of course was everyone at the event.
"It is clear from the video footage that people were crowded into a cramped location.
"It was a blatant breach of the lockdown and coronavirus regulations in force at the time.
"You said you didn't appreciate what they would be used for but it was inconceivable that you did not appreciate the gathering was used for some kind of unlawful gathering during the lockdown.
"It is hard to imagine an event more likely to spread Covid-19 than the sort of event being held on this occasion.
"What those attending may have been willing to risk is not only their own health and wellbeing, they risked the health and wellbeing of others who they may be in contact with subsequently and they may be more vulnerable.
"Those who attended this event were acting in a supremely selfish way."
Innerarity, of Tooting, south London, was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £100 prosecution costs and a £100 surcharge.