Licence revoked for illegal football screening
A licensee has had her personal licence revoked for screening Premiership football via a Sky domestic contract.
Licensees of two other pubs have also received heavy fines - one totaling £15,045 plus £1,391 costs — for the offence.
Sally Greaves of the New Inn, Drayton, Portsmouth, pleaded guilty at magistrates to dishonest reception of TV transmission and her licence was revoked immediately. She was also ordered to pay £1,325 in fines and costs.
She is one of a handful of licensees to have her licence revoked for screening soccer via domestic systems.
In addition, another Portsmouth licensee couple - Paul and Mandy Sweeney of the Milton Arms, Milton Road, Southsea — were fined £15,045 plus £1,391 costs in total of the offence.
The fine also applies to the pub's owner, Mr P Simmonds.
Meanwhile, Joe McKune and Michelle Horsey of the Hind and Hart, the Concourse, London NW9, were fined a total of £5,015 plus £2,700 costs for screening games using domestic cards.
All the prosecutions were conducted by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), which said there had been more than 1,100 similar prosecutions to date.
This includes more than 100 this season alone and 100 further cases with court dates scheduled or pending.
Stephen Gerrard, FACT prosecuting manager said: "Our aim is to help create an effective deterrent to publicans who endeavour to fraudulently show Sky content on their premises.
"As numerous cases have shown we successfully pursue and prosecute dishonest licensees who are then faced with substantial fines, costs and a criminal record."
