Back to court for foreign football pubs

Two Portsmouth licensees who beat a prosecution for showing foreign satellite football last season have been caught in the act again.

Derek Hopper of the Royal Exchange and Karen Murphy of the Red, White and Blue - part of the Pompey Five - were caught again showing Premiership matches using foreign satellite channels at the start of this season.

Earlier this year, Murphy was acquitted after a judge ruled she did not know what she was doing was illegal.

The former Gales' licensee even produced a letter from her brewery advising her to consider installing the satellite system.

After fellow Portsmouth licensee Andrew Cornwall of the Three Marines in Southsea was also cleared, cases were dropped against the rest of the Pompey Five.

They are just playing a game with our lives and our businesses and that is wrong. The only people who will make money are the solicitors.​Derek Hopper, Portsmouth licensee.

This time it will be hard for Hopper and Murphy to use the same defence but Hopper told the MA he felt he was being "victimised" by Sky and the FA Premier League.

He said: "Why are they continually coming after me and Karen? There are plenty of pubs in Portsmouth which advertise the fact they are showing these games."​

Hopper, whose defence in the May trial cost £1,500 said he has still not received payment from the Central Fund and is struggling to afford representation this time around.

He added: "They are just playing a game with our lives and our businesses and that is wrong. The only people who will make money are the solicitors."​

Hopper and Murphy are due to appear in court early next year.

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