Landlord in court over match broadcasts

A Staffordshire landlord was caught showing Albanian broadcasts of Premier League football matches, a court heard.

In one of a series of cases being brought by private prosecutors across the country on behalf of BSkyB, Roy Neil Winfer was found televising games including Liverpool vs Arsenal at the Star Inn, in Walsall Road, Great Wyrley. Walsall magistrates gave him a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £540 costs after he pleaded guilty to the offence of fraudulently receiving broadcasts for which a payment is required.

The court heard yesterday that agents from the Media Protection Service visited the venue on September 20 last year to find two people watching a game between Bolton and Arsenal through the Albanian satellite TV provider.

They returned on December 21 when six customers were viewing the Liverpool vs Arsenal clash.

Defence solicitor Mr Chris Loach said the prosecution under section 297 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents act 1988 came after Winfer had purchased the foreign satellite system, having seen an apparently legitimate advert in a trade magazine.

He said the issue of showing Premier League football in pubs from providers other than BSkyB was proving a "grey area" of the law.

"The trade continues to advertise satellite services that are not Sky," he said. "Mr Winfer had no reason to believe he was acting illegally." He added that Winfer was a man of good character and that the prosecution was "regrettable".

Chairman of the magistrates, Mrs Shirley Newby, said they were reluctant to sentence Winfer. "We have spent a long time discussing this," she said.

"Nevertheless, this is a crime and you have pleaded guilty."