On Monday the 9th of March 2020. Bett 5 Ltd, Paul Bettaney of Whiston, an unlicensed security director, pleaded guilty to supplying unlicensed door staff to Stoke-on-Trent hotel between December 2017 and January 2019.
This prosecution comes after an investigation launched by the Security Industry Authority in March 2019 following a report that an unlicensed officer had worked at the hotel. The reports were correct and the officer was prosecuted and fined £200 with costs of £300 and a victim surcharge of £30.
While Bettaney had indeed held an SIA license, it had expired in 2014. The SIA team sought to interview Bettaney but he repeatedly failed to show up or respond to the SIA.
The SIA made several attempts to interview Bettaney about his deployment of unlicensed security operatives. However, he failed to attend these interviews or engage with the SIA at any time.
This resulted in the SIA to taking the matter to the North Staffordshire Magistrates Court. Mr Bettaney subsequently failed to attend the hearings, forcing the SIA to seek a warrant for his arrest. After this information was posted on social media, Bettaney turned himself in.
“By supplying unlicensed security operatives, Paul Bettaney, put the public at risk and prioritised profit. He then tried to avoid contact with the SIA and ended up in a worse situation.
His guilty plea will mean he can no longer operate in the private security industry. This case should be a warning to other security companies who do not take the long-term consequences of supplying unlicensed security seriously,” said the SIA Criminal Investigation Team’s Pete Eastbrook.
Paul Bettaney will be sentenced at Stoke on Trent Crown Court later this year and the any profits made from his illegal acts will be review under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002)