For the attention of: News Desks
Date: 31 March 2023 Ref: NR17-23
Maidenhead man prosecuted for fraud at Reading Crown Court
On Monday 27 March 2023, John Arthur Radley from Maidenhead, was sentenced at Reading Crown Court following his guilty plea to the court on Monday 21 November 2022. He is required to do a 12-month community order comprising 60-hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Mr Radley is also required to pay £600 prosecution costs over a 12-month period. The sentencing followed additional hearings where Mr Radley sought permission to retract his earlier guilty plea. This application was rejected by the court.
He was prosecuted for repeatedly providing fraudulent contracts and invoices to the Security Industry Authority (SIA) for an application he made to them in August 2018 for his business to become an SIA approved contractor.
Radley pleaded guilty to the court to fraud by false representation to the SIA when he submitted a falsified contract for the provision of security operatives to a football club.
On 25 September 2018 he met with SIA investigators and re-submitted the fraudulent contracts and invoices that showed the provision of security operatives under contract.
In December 2018 Radley was requested to provide the SIA with additional information. He failed to provide all of the required information to the SIA and some of the documents that he did supply were fraudulent.
Mark Chapman, one of the SIA’s criminal investigation managers, said:
“Mr Radley sought to have his business accredited with the SIA’s Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) by fraudulent means. The ACS provides a recognised hallmark of quality within the private security industry. The SIA’s licensing regime exists to protect the public and the ACS is an independently assessed scheme that confirms a company has achieved and supplies a high standard of security. He sought to circumvent these rigorous processes and cheat both the SIA and his customers by purporting to be an SIA approved contractor. We will actively pursue and look to prosecute security businesses who claim to be approved by us when they are not.” -Ends –
Notes to Editors:
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 www.GOV.UK/SIA.
The offences relating to the Fraud Act 2006 are:
Section 2: fraud by false representation
Section 7: making or supplying articles for use in frauds.
The ACS is voluntary and was developed in consultation with representatives from across the industry; it only covers those parts of the industry that are regulated by the SIA and the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (as amended). There is a single scheme, with sector-specific approval based on a relevant set of qualifying criteria.
Further information:
The SIA is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK, 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 ACS
For further information about the Security Industry Authority or to sign up for email updates visit: WWW.GOV.UK/SIA The SIA is also on Facebook (Security Industry Authority) LinkedIn and Twitter (@SIAuk).
Media enquiries only please contact:
Security Industry Authority
0300 123 9869