Three university students held an illegal rave in their student accommodation during lockdown.
Miles Agnew, Iwan Jones and Louis Brimelow were found inside their flat on Ranelagh Street in Liverpool city centre along with hordes of other students.
The three students were originally fined £10,000 - but they ended up court after they were unable to pay.
They were unrepresented when they appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court this morning, where they pleaded guilty to holding a rave in England of more than 30 people indoors.
Matt Rowtly, prosecuting, said officers attended the city centre flat at around 1.50am on November 15 last year, during the second national lockdown.
Mr Rowtly explained there had been a report of a party and upon entry officers found "a large number of young adults and youths".
He said they were drinking alcohol and "illegal drugs were being consumed".
When police arrived 20-30 people were running from the address.
Mr Rowtly said there was "loud music" and "the sound of people shouting".
He said: "Officers noticed a distinct change in temperature. Initially it was put down to the weather, in actual fact it was due to the amount of persons actively taking part in the house party."
Officers described the scene as "like being in an indoor concert" with "condensation dripping off the walls" and a "continuous stream of students running in and out of rooms".
Mr Rowtly said it appeared the presence of the officers had little impact with some visibly "under the influence of drugs".
When confronted and cautioned by police Brimelow said "it got out of hand" adding "honestly it was not meant to be like this".
Jones and Agnew - who was found behind a set of DJ decks in the student kitchen - also admitted they were the organisers of the event and were all handed £10,000 fines.
Brimelow, Jones and Agnew, all 20, wrote a joint letter to the court in which they said they regretted their actions and the "potential danger" they put people in.
They said it was a "serious error in judgement" explaining people were drinking in neighbouring flats which "led to a large amount of gatecrashers".
They added: "We tried to demand everyone left but nobody listened. We understand now we should have been more adamant."
Agnew added that they had no involvement in any drug use and felt calling police wasn't an option "because we feared the fines".
The court heard they are full time engineering students and are not in employment and asked for a reduction in their fixed penalty notice.
A court clerk explained there were "certain levels of fines depending on how serious the matter is", advising the amount payable relates to what income is available.
Magistrates Birch and O'Donnell ordered the three students to pay a £320 fine, £110 costs and £34 victim surcharge.
