Doormen plead guilty to working illegally

December 7, 2012

Four men have pleaded guilty to working as unlicensed door supervisors, receiving convictions under the Private Security Industry Act 2001.

Shane Khan, Christopher Braisdell, Craig Talbot and Richard Wooley worked for an enterprise known as SK Security created by Khan. He was the point of contact for customers.

In March 2012, officers from West Mercia Police were responding to an incident at a venue in Whitchurch. They spoke to Khan and Braisdell who were working as door supervisors at the Red Lyon pub. The officer also spoke to Talbot and Wooley who were working as door supervisors at the Bulls Head pub.

During enquiries, the officer asked the men to produce Security Industry Authority licences. Khan and Talbot produced expired SIA licences belonging to other people. The licences had been modified to mislead someone into believing that Khan and Talbot were licensed operatives.

Wooley admitted to the officer that he did not hold an SIA licence. Braisdell produced an SIA Security Guarding licence; however this did not allow him to work in the door supervision sector.

Police referred the case to the SIA and during enquiries the four men admitted to SIA investigators that they had been working illegally.

Khan and Talbot also admitted to investigators that they had obtained expired SIA licences, issued to other individuals, and modified them.

At Chester Magistrates Court on Wednesday [5 Dec] Wooley, 27, of Elm Close, Whitchurch, was given a conditional discharge for a period of 12 months and ordered to pay £100 as a contribution to prosecution costs.

Sentencing for the other three men took place on 14 November. Khan, 34, of Spring Gardens, Wrexham, was given eight weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. He was also given a Community Service Order and ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work. Khan was ordered to pay a contribution of £500 to the prosecution costs.

Talbot, 35, of Cherry Road, Chester, was fined £240 and ordered to pay a contribution of £150 to costs.

Braisdell, 25, of Bryan Hafod, Wrexham, was given a conditional discharge of 12 months and was ordered to pay a contribution of £100 to costs.

SIA Head of Investigation Nathan Salmon said: “We work with partners to ensure that the law on SIA licencing is upheld. In this case, West Mercia Police identified unlicensed men and bogus SIA licences. These badges were being used to deceive customers and the public into believing that SIA-licensed operatives were on the doors; this is unacceptable.

“SIA licensing exists to protect the public from harm, ensuring that only suitably trained and vetted individuals work in positions of trust. Undertaking security at pubs and clubs requires specialist skills, which door supervisors must demonstrate before being considered for a licence.

“These prosecutions highlight the significance of such licensing; Khan and Wooley would not have met the criteria to gain a licence because of previous criminal convictions, making them unsuitable to hold a licence. Braisdell, although licensed, had not taken the relevant and necessary training required for a role as a door supervisor. These penalties demonstrate the significance courts place upon holding an SIA licence.”