UK ticket touts jailed in ‘significant milestone’
Four people have been jailed for using fraudulent tactics to purchase and resell hundreds of tickets at hugely inflated prices for events and concerts such as Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga.
Maria Chenery-Woods (54), Mark Woods (60), Lynda Chenery (51) and Paul Douglas (56) – all from Norfolk – were sentenced to a combined total of six years and five months imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court, earlier today (17 May).
The four defendants ran multi-million-pound limited company TQ Tickets, which they used to purchase hundreds of tickets for events and concerts by the likes of Gary Barlow, Liam Gallagher, Paul Weller and Little Mix.
The trial heard the firm sold tickets worth more than £6.5 million (€7.6m) over the course of two-and-a-half years.
An investigation by the National Trading Standards eCrime team found that the defendants used multiple deceitful and fraudulent tactics to acquire multiple tickets from reputable sellers including Ticketmaster, Eventim, SEE Tickets and ACS.
They used fake identities to resell the tickets at significantly higher prices – up to 500% above the original cost – on secondary ticketing sites such as Viagogo, Seatwave, Stubhub and Getmein.
“Today’s sentencing marks another significant milestone in our work to combat online ticket touts”
The defendants were also involved in ‘spec selling’ – where non-existent tickets are sold to consumers at inflated prices. When they couldn’t fulfil the purchases, the defendants tried to cover it up by providing fake postal trackers and sending empty or torn envelopes to make it appear as if the tickets had been sent and lost in the post.
“Today’s sentencing marks another significant milestone in our work to combat online ticket touts, which has already resulted in landmark prosecutions, and sends a clear message that criminals trying to rip off honest fans risk prosecution,” says Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards.
Mark Woods and Lynda Chenery were found guilty of fraudulent trading on 13 March 2024. Maria Chenery-Woods and Paul Douglas entered guilty pleas earlier in the process.
Maria Chenery-Woods today received four years imprisonment and is disqualified from being a company director for 10 years.
Mark Woods was handed down two years imprisonment and suspension for two years. In addition, he is disqualified from being a company director for four years, required to undertake 250 hours of unpaid work and must adhere to an electronic curfew for four months between the hours of 8 pm and 6 am.
Lynda Chenery was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment and suspension for two years. She is disqualified from being a company director for three years and complete 180 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation.
Paul Douglas received two years and five months imprisonment and is disqualified from being a company director for six years.
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UK ticket touts convicted in ‘landmark’ £6.5m case
Two people have been convicted of fraudulently and dishonestly buying and reselling tickets for high-profile concerts by acts including Ed Sheeran.
Mark Woods, 60, and Lynda Chenery, 51, both from Dickleburgh in Norfolk, were unanimously found guilty of fraudulent trading offences today (13 March) at Leeds Crown Court. Maria Chenery-Woods, 54, and Paul Douglas, 56, entered guilty pleas earlier in the process.
The four defendants ran multi-million-pound limited company TQ Tickets, which they used to purchase hundreds of tickets for events and concerts by the likes of Lady Gaga, Gary Barlow, Liam Gallagher, Paul Weller and Little Mix, before reselling them, often at hugely inflated prices.
The trial heard the firm sold tickets worth more than £6.5 million (€7.6m) over the course of two-and-a-half years.
An investigation led by National Trading Standards’ eCrime Team found that the defendants used several dishonest and fraudulent tactics to purchase multiple tickets from primary ticket sites, circumventing the platforms’ automated systems to block multiple purchases.
“I hope this prosecution supports progress towards a step-change in the secondary ticketing market”
The defendants then used false identities to resell the tickets – in some cases at 500% more than face value – on secondary ticketing websites.
The court heard they also engaged in fraudulent trading by “spec selling” – listing tickets for sale on secondary ticketing websites that they had not purchased and did not own. Where ticket purchases could not be met, the defendants tried to make it appear that tickets had been sent by giving fake postal trackers and sending empty or torn envelopes.
“This is a landmark case for National Trading Standards and I hope this prosecution supports progress towards a step-change in the secondary ticketing market, making it easier and safer for consumers buying tickets in the future,” says Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards.
Stuart Galbraith, CEO of promoter Kilimanjaro Live, which co-promoted Ed Sheeran’s 2018 UK Tour, was one of the witnesses in the case, and describes the verdict as “good news for live music fans, who are too often ripped off and exploited by greedy ticket touts”.
“We welcome today’s prosecution and the strong message it sends to greedy ticket touts looking to exploit genuine live music fans,” says Galbraith.
“We want to keep ticket prices accessible for as many people as possible and hope to get everyone a good seat at a fair price”
Statements were also read out at the trial by Sheeran’s manager Stuart Camp of Grumpy Old Management.
“We want to keep ticket prices accessible for as many people as possible and hope to get everyone a good seat at a fair price,” says Camp following the verdict. “Today’s prosecution will help protect music fans and sets an important precedent in the live entertainment industry that I hope will be celebrated by live music fans.”
Chenery-Woods is Woods’ wife and Chenery sister, while Douglas is Chenery’s ex-husband. All four defendants will be sentenced at a later date.
The hearing is the latest in a series of prosecutions against ticket touts led by investigators at the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, which have resulted in prosecutions, jail terms and millions of pounds in proceeds of crime returned to the exchequer.
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