Sunderland takeaway boss appears in court over covid rule breaches

Majid Mojdeh appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, July 13, accused of offences of serving food and allowing customers on the premises after 10pm in contravention of the coronavirus rules which were in operation at the time on two separate occasions in September and October last year.

The first charge is that 41-year-old Mojdeh, of Oxford Street in Paillion, provided food to a customer who was not sat in a car at Monroe’s takeaway in Stockton Road, Sunderland city centre, at 10.07pm on Saturday, September 26, 2020.

The second charge relates to the same premises and says that customers were on the premises after 10pm on Monday, October 12, 2020.

Mojdeh denied the first charge but pleaded guilty to the second offence which took place in October.

The defendant will now appear back at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on September 14 to answer to the first charge.

The North East was put under additional restrictions on Thursday, September 17, by Health Secretary Matt Hancock following a request from the LA7 authorities – including Sunderland’s council – as case figures rose.

They included regulations stating hospitality for food and drink would be restricted to table service and that venues, including pubs, bars and clubs, must close from 10pm to 5pm.

The restriction on opening hours also applied to hot food takeaways, which were told they could only offer home deliveries between 10pm and 5am.

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