Couple sentenced over £500,000 streaming fraud

Cormac McGuckin at a previous, unrelated court appearance

A County Londonderry man who made almost £500,000 from selling illegal TV sports streaming services has been jailed for two years.

Cormac McGuckin, 38, from The Meadows in Bellaghy, will spend a further two years on licence.

His wife, Maura McGuckin, 34, was given a 12-month suspended sentence for having criminal property.

The couple appeared at Omagh Crown Court after admitting the offences last month.

The court was told they had enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, owning top of the range cars and going on expensive holidays.

Cormac McGuckin admitted 10 charges of fraud linked to an illegal streaming service which gave around 2,000 people access to Sky Sports and BT Sports from 2016 to 2020.

Judge Philip Babington read from pre-sentence reports in which Cormac McGuckin said he "did not believe he was doing anything wrong" and regarded it as "a victimless crime".

"Your motives were purely financial and you made a great deal of money," he said.

The judge said Cormac McGuckin had 23 previous convictions for dishonesty, including theft and fraud.

McGuckin cried as he was led from the dock after being sentenced.

The judge then sentenced Maura McGuckin, who claimed she did not know that what her husband was doing was illegal.

But Judge Babington said she was "prepared to turn a blind eye as long as no one came knocking".

She was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for two years.

"I am satisfied that you sat back and benefitted from your husband's dishonesty," the judge told her.

"You are before this court because of his actions."

The police have welcomed the sentences and described the fraud as a brazen operation.

Detective Sergeant Robinson said: “This is not a victimless crime as this type of operation has a direct impact on businesses and consumers and our message to anyone involved in this type of crime is that it will not be tolerated and, working with partner agencies, police will investigate.

"Users and subscribers of illegal services should also be aware that they too are committing an offence for which they can be identified and prosecuted.

"It is no surprise that those who provide illegal streaming have no concerns for your private information, including bank details. The software and devices used to stream the footage can be used to harvest personal data. That ‘cheap subscription’ could end up costing you an awful lot more."

A confiscation investigation has been conducted with a view to seizing the defendants’ available assets.

The amount to be confiscated will be determined at a future hearing.