Men sentenced for LFC ticket scam
Two Merseyside men involved in a Liverpool FC ticket scam have been sentenced.
John Stuart, 42, of Jarrett Road in Kirkby was jailed for 8 months and Greg O’Neill, 41, of Beaconsfield, in Prescot, was given a two-year community order at Liverpool Crown Court today (27 August 2024).
Mr Stuart was the prime mover in the scam and stole thousands of pounds from three men who were trying to get tickets to see Liverpool in the Champions League Final in May 2022.
One man paid £8,500 for two so-called “category one” tickets for the Final in France. Two other men paid £2,500 for two tickets each. Their contact had been with Stuart, via his mobile phone, but the money was paid into O’Neill’s bank account.
O’Neill would then transfer the money to some of Stuart’s relatives and friends. After a few days, the victims realised that they had been the victim of fraud and Stuart had no tickets for the game.
The victims managed to get hold of both Stuart and O’Neill via their mobile phones and on WhatsApp.
O’Neill claimed he wasn’t involved in the scam and simply allowed Stuart to use his bank account for the money because he was scared of Stuart and his family.
Stuart finally admitted that he didn’t have the tickets but said he would try and pay the men back. No money was forthcoming.
Stuart was arrested and interviewed at St Helen’s Police station on 20 October 2022. He admitted he had scammed the men and told officers: “I took the money off them, I didn’t provide the tickets, It was my f**k up.” However, he claimed it was due to circumstances beyond his control.
At a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on 26 June 2024, Stuart pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud. A charge of transferring criminal property was allowed to lie on file. Today, along with his eight-month jail term, he was told he must repay all of the money that he took from his victims.
On 1 July 2024, O’Neil pleaded guilty to a charge of transferring criminal property. The Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence on three counts of fraud and he was therefore acquitted of those offences. Today, as well as his community order, O’Neill was told he must carry out 15 days of a rehabilitation activity and he was also given a 12-month Mental Health Treatment Requirement.
District Crown Prosecutor Brian Forshaw, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “John Stuart is a heartless ticket scammer who stole thousands of pounds from LFC fans who were keen to see their team in the Champions League Final.
“Stuart exploited their enthusiasm and he never returned any of their money.
“O’Neill had a lesser role but allowed Stuart to use his bank account to launder the cash and deflect suspicion from Stuart.
“The scam unravelled quickly and the two men are now convicted criminals. Anyone can become a victim of a fraud and online fraud is particularly prevalent.
“The Crown Prosecution Service works with the police to bring the fraudsters to justice and make sure that crime never pays.”