On Tuesday, September 12th, an individual named Paul Haywood Dowson received a sentence for his involvement in unauthorized work as a door supervisor at a licensed establishment in South Wales. The sentence imposed upon him includes a 12-month Community Rehabilitation Order, along with a 10-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR). Additionally, he was fined £500, and a Victim Surcharge of £114 was imposed, in addition to a contribution of £2,587.50 toward prosecution costs.
Mr. Dowson served as a security operative at a licensed establishment in Tenby from November 2021 to June 2022. During this period, officers from Dyfed Powys Police, along with a licensing officer, observed him working as a door supervisor at the establishment on three occasions: April 30, 2022, May 29, 2022, and June 4, 2022.
On each of these occasions, Mr. Dowson was observed performing the duties of a door supervisor at the establishment. He was attired predominantly in black clothing, with an armband license card holder and a coat bearing the word ‘security’ on it. On May 29, 2022, when approached by police officers, he confirmed his employment at the premises.
Although Mr. Dowson had previously held two door supervisor licenses, his most recent one had expired on March 18, 2022. Despite this, he continued to work at the establishment until the Designated Premises Supervisor became aware of his lack of a valid license in June 2022, resulting in the termination of his employment.
Mr. Dowson was formally interviewed by the Security Industry Authority (SIA) on October 29, 2022. While he acknowledged standing outside the establishment as described by the police officers, he maintained that he was not engaged as a door supervisor there. He claimed to be working at the premises in a non-designated capacity related to CCTV installations, although this assertion was contradicted by the premises management.
During the sentencing, the bench remarked, “This matter was a significant issue as a door supervisor is a person with responsibility for the well-being, regulation, and control of members of the public. You knew you did not have a valid license but continued to work over an extended period until stopped. That shows a disregard for the law and for those you were meant to be protecting.”
Mark Chapman, one of the SIA’s Criminal Investigations Managers, commented, “Paul Dowson’s case is an example of what happens when individuals choose to work when not licensed to do so. Dowson continued to work without a license, putting the security of the venue’s patrons and staff at risk. As a result, he now has a conviction with substantial costs to pay. I’d like to acknowledge the contribution made to the investigation by our law enforcement partner, Dyfed Powys Police. They were exemplary in supporting the SIA to bring this case to court. This and other similar cases in the region have further strengthened the regulated security industry by ensuring that those providing security to the public are licensed to do so.”