Security officer convicted for using fake SIA licence

Donnelly paid an unknown individual the sum of £300 for an illegal cloned security licence to work illegally without having been through the proper and necessary training. Active Security Solutions Ltd, the company at which Donnelly applied to work, spotted the deception while in the process of conducting routine checks.

The company alerted the SIA and an investigation was then launched into Donnelly’s conduct.

Following the investigation, Donnelly was charged and ordered to appear in court for trial. He failed to appear at Dudley Magistrates’ Court at the stated time on 13 December and was found guilty in his absence.

A warrant was then issued for Donnelly’s arrest. He was duly arrested and subsequently appeared at Walsall Magistrates’ Court on 9 January, at which time he was sentenced for using a cloned licence and failing to surrender to bail. The Community Order served on him is for 120 hours of unpaid work. Donnelly was also ordered to pay £3,903 in prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £114.

Placing the public at risk

Mark Chapman, criminal investigations manager for the SIA, said: “When somebody works in the private security industry with a cloned licence, they place members of the public, their colleagues and themselves at risk.”

Chapman continued: “In this case, Donnelly thought he could take a shortcut by avoiding the training necessary to safely de-escalate conflict and deal with dangerous situations. During questioning, Donnelly claimed that he believed the licence he bought was genuine. However, having previously held a genuine SIA licence, he would have known that this was not the case and that he was breaking the law.”

Further, Chapman noted: “This sentence serves as a warning to others who may be considering circumventing the legal requirements to hold a valid licence. They will not avoid being held to account when caught.”

Chapman concluded: “I would like to thank Active Security Solutions Ltd for reporting this individual to us so that we could prosecute someone who was attempting to break the law.”