Licensees fined over £10k for illegal Sky use

Malachy and Sheila Gaughan of The Prince George, Thornton Heath were each convicted in their absence of three offences of dishonest reception of a television transmission (Sky televised football matches).

The couple were ordered to pay a total of £10,430 in fines and costs at Camberwell Magistrates Court on 30 March, following a successful prosecution by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (‘FACT’), which acts on behalf of Sky in domestic use prosecutions.

Stephen Gerrard, prosecuting manager at FACT, said: “Our aim is to help create an effective deterrent to publicans who endeavour to fraudulently show Sky programmes 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.”

A spokesperson for Sky added: “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.”