Allesley publican cleared of illegal football screening

[dutchman]

A Coventry publican convicted of illegally screening a live Premiership football match has cleared his name on appeal.



Joseph Gavin had been fined £800 for showing eastern European coverage of a Chelsea game at The Rainbow Inn, Allesley, in August 2009.

Mr Gavin, 46, was also ordered to pay £2,760 costs after his conviction by magistrates last July for ‘dishonestly receiving a programme with intent to avoid payment.’

Using an Albanian satellite card meant the Birmingham Road pub avoided paying BSkyB - which had exclusive rights to publicly broadcast English Premier League games – nearly £14,000-a-year in subscription charges.

But at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, Lawrence Watts, for the appellant, successfully argued the TV system was not Mr Gavin’s responsibility because it had been installed before his arrival in September 2008, and because he was only a caretaker manager, not the licensee.

The appeal panel heard bills and invoices were handled by Damian Grote, the brother of former landlord Jon Grote, 42, who died after a fall at the pub in August 2008, and that the venue itself was owned by Enterprise Inns.