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Landowner guilty of holding noisy rave
5:19pm Tuesday 26th February 2008
Comments (27)A landowner who held an illegal rave in the Sussex countryside which was heard for miles around has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Conrad Ryder-Large, 50, was branded selfish by a judge at Lewes Crown Court for staging the party which was attended by hundreds of people in the summer of 2006.
People living up to four miles away were kept awake all night by the loud music at the rave at Ryder-Large's ten acre home Riverside Stables, at Lindfield, near Haywards Heath.
Ryder-Large and John Castrillon, 31, of Clifton Street, Brighton, who was the DJ for the party, denied causing a public nuisance but they were convicted after a trial.
Ryder-Large claimed the event was a private double 40th birthday party for friends and he described people who complained as "killjoys."
When police arrived he accused them of behaving like the "Gestapo."
The court heard police, who received complaints from as far away as the villages of Ardingly and Horsted Keynes, asked him repeatedly to turn down the music.
Officers set up road blocks to turn away people heading to the party on Saturday June 10.
In the middle of the night, in order to try to stop the noise officers took the key to the generator powering the sound system. But the machine was hot-wired and the party carried on until Sunday afternoon.
During the trial Ryder-Large was described by the prosecution as the "neighbour from hell" for allowing such a large party to go ahead. A year earlier another all-night party on his land caused disturbance to people living nearby as it lasted for 32 hours.
Judge Richard Hayward sentenced Ryder-Large, who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome and receives incapacity benefit, to three months in jail suspended for two years.
He imposed a prohibitive activity order banning him from arranging another party on his land for two years.
Castrillon was fined £2,000.
Both men were ordered to pay £1,500 costs.
The judge said: "I don't accept this was a private party. I think he is a very self-opinionated man and he felt he wanted to have this rave on this land and to hell with everyone else.
"You are described as an eccentric who leads an alternative lifestyle. In interview when asked about the people who were disturbed you said there were neurotic with no beautiful thoughts in their heads. You are a selfish man who thinks you can live as you wish with no thought for others."
A third defendant, Mandy Thompson, 40, of Fonthill Road, Hove, who admitted the offence before the trial, will be sentenced at a later date.
After the hearing Ryder-Large said: "This case represents the triumph of envy in England, a complaining culture and the hypocritical syndrome.
"I have been convicted by boring, bourgeois, bad-thinking, middle England. I've been convicted as a result of the over criminalisation of the English population which is making so many innocent acts illegal."
Your Say YourThe Argus
simon, brighton says...
6:07pm Tue 26 Feb 08
Darryl, Kemp Town says...
6:36pm Tue 26 Feb 08
I suppose we'd all have chronic fatigue syndrome after partying for 32 hours!
binge, worthing says...
7:21pm Tue 26 Feb 08
I love loud music, but NOT at the expense of other people.
ray ellerton, portslade says...
7:43pm Tue 26 Feb 08
roger, cyberspace says...
7:46pm Tue 26 Feb 08
simon wrote:he couldn't have a community order because he has chronic fatigue syndrome and can't work. all this means is that he parties all night and sleeps all day.i.e. he is a lazy b******d and likes us all keeping him
Did this really justify using the court time for when real criminals are free to walk the streets until thier case comes up? Ok, he played music loud but thats all. As far as im aware it was his own private land an d he didnt have any real close neighbours? a 3 month jail term is disgusting and the courts should start to use community orders for these sort of offences. So we are going to let the muggers, murderers, and rapists out early so we can lock up people for council tax and playing music to loud?? Luckly it was suspended but still an over reaction. Once again the British law courts show how out of touch with reality they are.
Jon, Jon says...
8:03pm Tue 26 Feb 08
B G Gruff, hove says...
8:40pm Tue 26 Feb 08
Mel, Hove says...
8:47pm Tue 26 Feb 08
jon,jon, says...
8:51pm Tue 26 Feb 08
Jon wrote:i didnt write that? how could i wakey wakey,i have chronic fatigue syndrome.
Welcome to the police state, wakey wakey people.
A-Dam, Brighton says...
8:51pm Tue 26 Feb 08
Music Lover, Brighton says...
8:53pm Tue 26 Feb 08
binge wrote:execssive electricity use, hmmm let me see, say 5000 watts of electricity, and thats a shed load for any music system, at 10pence per kilowatt hour, equals 50 pence per hour total, multiplied by what was it 12 hours say, my god, thats a huge £6 worth of electricity! Oh the world is really going to the dogs using that much isn't it? D*ckhead!
All the offending equipment should have been confiscated on the spot. The selfish morons who set up such are helping to ruin the world with their carbon dioxide (Electricity) excessive use of the worlds energy. I love loud music, but NOT at the expense of other people.
Perhaps he was a bit selfish, but its hardly ever night is it.... once a year or so.... big flipping deal...
dc, sussex says...
9:04pm Tue 26 Feb 08
back in 1994 at the criminal justice bill march to hyde park, we thought it was all over, so some smashed the place up!
good to see the bill really crushed the illegal raves haha.
iwasthere, Brighton says...
9:09pm Tue 26 Feb 08
Simon, Haywards Heath says...
11:34pm Tue 26 Feb 08
steve, spain says...
7:45am Wed 27 Feb 08
Kickboxer, Worthing says...
8:18am Wed 27 Feb 08
Simon wrote:Have you ever been kept awake all night by loud music, I have and it drives you mad all that thump, thump, thump all night. I would probably have taken a shotgun to this anti-social muppets speakers & amp.
The legal system in this country is disappointing. All this fuss because of a few discruntled neighbours - So what!
The Real kickboxer, Worthing says...
11:02am Wed 27 Feb 08
Kickboxer wrote:Whoever you are, you're a FORK n CORK SUCKER!
Simon wrote: The legal system in this country is disappointing. All this fuss because of a few discruntled neighbours - So what!Have you ever been kept awake all night by loud music, I have and it drives you mad all that thump, thump, thump all night. I would probably have taken a shotgun to this anti-social muppets speakers & amp.
Ian, Brighton says...
12:44pm Wed 27 Feb 08
But once or twice a year is hardly a problem is it? jesus christ just let people have some fun you borning cvnts.
People are saying he is selfish, I think its the people complaining that are selfish ones for not allowing people to have fun on 1 or 2 nights, when the other 363/4 days of the year they are undisturbed.
p.s. Leah Betts died from water, not drugs.
Mandy Thompson, Brighton says...
3:23pm Wed 27 Feb 08
Great. It wasnt worth all this stress.
Kickboxer, Worthing says...
9:59pm Wed 27 Feb 08
Mandy Thompson wrote:So I guess it won't be happening again, that will be a relief for all the people you kept awake all night.
it was my birthday. The legal system stinks. The reason I said that I was guilty was because my legal advised me that i would not win the case and told me that I could go to prison and my 3 year old daughter Tondy could be taken away from me
Great. It wasnt worth all this stress.
Adrian Taylor, Hove/Lindfield says...
10:11pm Fri 29 Feb 08
Well a lifetime living in Haywards Heath, Lindfield and now Hove has tought me that some people in Sussex really are incredibly narrow minded and selfish and appear to only think of themselves.
And I'm talking about the people who complained , - also the judge and his narrow minded peer group...
Loud music disseminating from an area all night is simply loud music, which is sound pressure waves in the air... there is no physical harm done to people, animals or property, unless you stand directly in front of the source.
As a resident of Lindfield I would suggest that instead of causing damage and alarm in the "community" it did the exact opposite, as all the villagers had a common point of interest to talk about for a few days, thereby enhancing their lives.
What do these people do when there is a thunder storm, or loud farming activity or shooting in the area ? Call the police, or the vicar (in the case of the thunder)
Also driving an average small car down the street outside their homes at night will expose them to higher dB (decibels) of sound pressure levels. Than a Party half a mile away.
The fines, costs and suspended sentence is clearly disproportionate to the "Offence" caused.
Is it really the case that you have to remain silent at all times if you live in the "countryside" ?
These type of events happen pretty much every weekend all over this country and many other countries throughout the world, and usually it is tolerated as local people are aware that eventually the soundsystem will pack up and go home at some point.
Unfortunately the police and courts in Mid Sussex appear to be unaware of this, and seem to think this is a very rare and serious crime . It is not, It is simply some loud amplified music and some laughter for a night or so.
To attack someone because of their illness as some here have done is little more than personal abuse. The chap is lucky he isn't from an ethnic minority or gay otherwise you would all be telling him to go back to where he came from...
Incapacity Benefit is immaterial to the report but the Argus decided to mention it... I thought we had gone beyond this type of journalism in the UK. Where it used to be considered acceptable in court reports to say "the defendant (30) who is black was sentenced today"
Unless the fact that one of the defendants is on Incapacity Benefit is relevant to the story then it simply shouldn't be reported.
Incapacity benefit supports people who are unable to work through illness... I just hope that the critics/journalists never fall ill or need to use any part of the social safety net... as they would obviously have to become homeless and starve because claiming benefit is immoral and synonymous with being a criminal . In no part of any law in this country is it stated that you can not have a party if you are on benefit.
Like someone said earlier mid Sussex is pretty much the most narrow minded place around, and not suitable for these types of events... I disagree, I believe that these complaining residents should be exposed to the rich and varied culture that is flowing around Britain and not be allowed to think its still 1954
I hope I can track Mr. Castrillon and Ms Thompson down as I would like to offer them some meagre financial help in paying for this debacle, persoanlly it makes me ashamed of being from Mid Sussex
George Da Raver!, sumwere in the sticks of sussex says...
1:53am Tue 1 Apr 08
George Da Raver!, smell hole says...
1:57am Tue 1 Apr 08
steve wrote:I bloody agree with you mate, looks like most of the english population will be in spain in the next few years, RAVE ON!
you make me sick you load of morons the man was haveing a party for god sake thats why we moved to spain to get away from the likes of people on this site where we live the old bill come and say hallo when we have a party and have a beer talk about police state they never nicked anyone for smokeing did they? go on wt you got to say about this post you r all sad pepole oh yer and i cant spell have a go at me for that you muppets.
George Da Raver!, In the sticks of sussex at as many raves as i can find says...
2:00am Tue 1 Apr 08
Robyn Cooper, Redhill, surrey says...
12:13am Wed 21 May 08
eleuterio, Italy says...
9:23pm Wed 15 Oct 08
The extreme law is the greatest injustice. (Cicero)
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James, Worthing says...
6:03pm Tue 26 Feb 08
-thinking
people of middle England wonder how you can bring yourself to accept their money in your strange sounding incapacity benefit.You are allegedly unable to work but can organise and run a party for several
days for all your friends.