Holloway pub fined £5k for showing Sky Sports illegally

A Holloway landlord has been fined nearly £5,000 for showing Sky Sports illegally.

Zohair Layada, license holder at The Halfway House Bar in Seven Sisters Road, failed to turn up to Highbury Corner Magistrates Court today where he was convicted of three offences of dishonest reception of a television transmission with intent to avoid payment.

He was ordered to pay a £4,831 in fines and costs and given a criminal record.

Stephen Gerrard, Prosecuting Manager at The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), said: “This latest conviction demonstrates how seriously licensees and their staff should take the issue of illegally showing Sky Sports content in their premises.

“In addition to fines amounting up to £5,000 for every offence they commit, or each match that they show, the court can order legal costs to be paid and there is a requirement to inform the local licensing authority of the criminal offence, which can impact their license.”

Sky has promised to visit every licensed premises reported by other publicans or organisations for illegally showing their content and is visiting more than 700 pubs each week in towns and cities across the UK in the 2014/15 season.

Alison Dolan, Deputy Managing Director, Sky Business, said: “Licensees who break the law by showing Sky Sports illegally are putting the livelihoods of honest landlords at risk.

“We actively visit thousands of pubs every season to monitor the games they are showing and continue to support FACT’s work to protect hardworking Sky customers who are unfairly losing business due to this illegal activity.”