A local judge has refused to grant a compensation order in favour of Sky TV when sentencing a Derry man for supplying Dreamboxes.
Kieran McCartney, 48, of Ederowen park, pleaded guilty to supplying and possessing articles for use in fraud and unauthorised use of a trademark between June and December 2015.
The court heard police searched McCartney’s car after noticing suspicious activity and found twelve ‘Dreamboxes’ which had been altered to allow access to satellite TV channels which normally require a subscription.
When the defendant’s home was searched, five more boxes were discovered and, following examination by an expert from Sky, it was claimed that the company would have lost £850 per year per box. The expert placed the total loss to the company between £27,200 and £81,600.
During police interview, McCartney initially suggested he had been selling four boxes a week for six months, but later said he had been selling them for eight weeks.
Kevin Casey, defending, said his client takes issue with the expert’s evaluation of loss to ‘poor Mr Murdoch’. He said it was a matter for the court whether a compensation order is made.
The defence solicitor said his client hadn’t committed any offences since the 'tail end of the last century' and had dealt with the issues which caused him to offend.
District Judge Barney McElholm ordered the defendant to complete forty hours of community service.
However, he declined to make a compensation order, saying ‘whatever they say they lost, other people might have a view about what they charge.’
He added: “This is a company that makes huge profits. I don’t know where they pay their tax but I hope it is in this jurisdiction.”
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