For the attention of: | News Desks | No of pages: | 02 |
Date: | 3 May 2019 | Ref: | NR45-19 |
No-show Birmingham door supervisor fined £600 and charged court costs of £7,815 in his absence
On Monday 29 April, Birmingham resident John Mendy was found guilty in his absence at Birmingham Magistrates' Court. He was fined £600 and required to pay costs of £7,815. John Mendy incurred this significant fine and court costs for ignoring formal requests three times from the Security Industry Authority (SIA). He also failed to attend Birmingham Magistrates' Court for the hearing of his case last December, in March and again on Monday 29 April.
The investigation began after the SIA tried to speak to Mr Mendy about why his licence number was being used by someone else at the Witcombe Cider Festival in 2017. An SIA investigator carrying out routine licence checks at the Gloucestershire festival, found an individual displaying a fraudulent SIA door supervisor licence featuring a licence number assigned to John Mendy. The person wearing the badge was known as Gabriel Prom. This individual does not hold an SIA licence.
Following this discovery, the SIA made several attempts to contact Mendy between 24 January 2018 and 26 May 2018 to find out whether he was aware that his licence was being used fraudulently by someone else. As he repeatedly failed to respond to the SIA's enquiries as a result Mendy was then prosecuted by the SIA.
Gabriel Prom also failed to attend a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court and it has issued a warrant for his arrest.
Pete Easterbrook, of the SIA's Criminal Investigations Team, said:
"John Mendy has shown a complete lack of regard and respect for both the regulator and the judicial system. He chose not to attend court to explain his actions, it is my view that Mendy believed that by ignoring our requests he could undermine our investigation. As Monday's result has shown, this course of action was ill advised, and John Mendy now has a criminal record and must pay a substantial fine and significant court costs."
He added:
"This case is a reminder that our investigators have the power to require a regulated person to provide them with documents or other information. This is not a power we exercise lightly, but when we do so, we expect individuals to engage with us. Those who choose to treat such a request as optional and fail to respond can expect to be prosecuted."
John Mendy was licensed until 21 August 2018. His licence has now expired. Ends
Notes to Editors:
As this is now the events season, the SIA advises that event organisers who are procuring private security firms to protect the public at their events to consider appointing an approved contractor to provide the service. In addition they should check to ensure that the people that they are employing to provide security are legitimate SIA licence holders. Events and private security companies can check by visiting our Register of Licence Holders available here on our website to ascertain whether licensees are legitimate.
- By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence. Information about SIA enforcement and penalties can be found on the website.
- The offence relating to the Private Security Industry Act (2001) that is mentioned in the above news release is Section 19 (2) failing to produce information
The Private Security Industry Act 2001 is available online via: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2001/12/contents
Further information:
The Security Industry Authority is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the United Kingdom, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA's main duties are: the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities; and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.
For further information about the Security Industry Authority or to sign up for email updates visit:www.sia.homeoffice.gov.uk. The SIA is also onFacebook (Security Industry Authority)andTwitter (@SIAuk).
Media enquiriesonlyplease contact:
Security Industry Authority 0300 123 9869