Banned football ticket tout jailed for selling at Qatar World Cup

Stuart O'Brien failed to surrender his passport and travelled to the Fifa World Cup in Qatar

A persistent and banned ticket tout who was spotted at last year's World Cup in Qatar has been jailed for 12 weeks.

Stuart O'Brien, 48, from Liverpool, pleaded guilty at South Sefton Magistrates' Court to breaching a five-year football banning order imposed for previous ticket touting.

Merseyside Police said because of that conviction O'Brien had to surrender his passport before the tournament.

He failed to do so and was "seen in Qatar, selling tickets", police said.

O'Brien, of Whitehaven Road, Anfield, was given his original banning order after being convicted of ticket touting in February 2021.

He had been arrested, along with two other suspects, on 1 February 2020 before a Liverpool versus Southampton game after being found with season tickets and about £1,300 in cash.

Ireland hotel reservations

On 17 October last year, the Football Banning Orders Authority (FBOA) sent letters to all those subject to banning orders during the World Cup and told them to surrender their passports at their local police station.

O'Brien was granted an exemption after claiming he would be at a family wedding in Ireland. He had provided evidence of his flights and accommodation booking.

On 17 November, he emailed the FBOA to tell them he was now staying in Ireland for another week with relatives and gave evidence of a hotel reservation that included a stay until 4 December.

The FBOA emailed the ticket tout twice asking him to provide his return flight booking to the UK, but he did not reply either time.

On 1 December, police rang his home address and asked to speak to him and a relative replied: "He's in Qatar".

Assistant Chief Constable Paul White said: "We welcome this sentencing as O'Brien clearly displayed a flagrant disregard to court orders by traveling to Qatar and selling tickets.

"I hope this sends a clear message and acts as a deterrent to others that we will be put you before the courts if you are seen breaching a football order."

The World Cup was played in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December.

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