Alleged Wimbledon ticket tout Luke McKay has been handed a six-month suspended prison sentence after refusing to “grass-up” his boss, who prosecutors claim is a reality TV star.
Justice Clive Freedman handed McKay the suspended sentence after he failed to comply with a court order, obtained by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, to give details of past transactions, as well as the names of his associates.
His six months in prison have been delayed by 14 days to give him an opportunity to comply, though McKay indicated that he would not be willing to do so.
He said, according to the Guardian: “I know I’m going to prison, I just have to face it. I can’t be known as a grass, your honour.”
The newspaper also reported that the court heard that the AELTC had claimed “on good evidence” that McKay was touting Wimbledon tickets on behalf of Greg Shepherd, a regular on ITV show Sam and Billie Faiers: The Mummy Diaries, alongside wife Billie who rose to prominence on The Only Way Is Essex.
Justice Freedman said: “It’s to be borne in mind that ticket touting is a detrimental activity, not just to the claimant but to members of the public who want to watch tennis but can’t get tickets because they’re in the hands of ticket touts.
“It also causes financial loss to the claimant, who is a non-profit organisation. It’s to be borne in mind that ticket touting is a detrimental activity, not just to the claimant but to members of the public who want to watch tennis but can’t get tickets because they’re in the hands of ticket touts. It also causes financial loss to the claimant, who is a non-profit organisation.”
A spokesperson for the AELTC said: “The AELTC has, for many years, monitored the secondary ticket market and, where necessary, undertakes test purchases from suspected ticket touts with a view to obtaining court orders to stop those touts from continuing their infringing activities.”
“The primary aim is to ensure that those court orders are complied with and anyone who deliberately flouts an order is potentially committing a contempt of court and if they do so the AELTC will bring those breaches to the attention of the court through committal proceedings.
“The punishment for contempt of court is a matter for the courts and public policy.”
Image: I went to Wimbledon
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