Bridgend host stripped of licence for illegal Sky screening
A Bridgend licensee has been stripped of her personal licence and ordered to pay nearly £7,000 in fines and costs for screening Premiership football using a domestic Sky card.
Julie Elizabeth Taylor, of the Old Kings Head in Pencoed, was found guilty on three counts of dishonest reception of a television transmission under section 297 (1) of the Copyright Design and Patents Act 1988.
Along with the loss of her personal licence, and a criminal record, she was fined a total of £4,515 and ordered to pay £2,122.07 in costs.
"Our aim is to help create an effective deterrent to licensees who endeavour to fraudulently show Sky content on their premises," said prosecuting manager Stephen Gerrard.
"As numerous cases have shown we successfully pursue and prosecute dishonest licensees who are then faced with substantial fines, costs and in this case the loss of their personal licence."
There have been more than 900 similar prosecutions to date across the United Kingdom — with more than 100 prosecutions this season alone and over 100 further cases pending.
A spokesperson for Sky said: "This case demonstrates the seriousness of this issue as courts continue to deliver considerable penalties to licensees who televise Sky content illegally.
"Sky's ongoing support for FACT in prosecuting licensees who break the law demonstrates our commitment to protecting the interests of our legitimate subscribers'
