A former security boss has been ordered to pay more than five thousand pounds from the proceeds of his crimes, or face a three month prison sentence.
Nicholas Seabrook, of Cwmbran, was handed a Proceeds of Crime 2002 (POCA) confiscation order of £5,560.59 at Cardiff Crown Court last Friday, 29 May 2020.
Nicholas pleaded guilty to being an unlicensed security director and failing to provide information to the Security Industry Authority (SIA) back on Monday 02 December at Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court. He was bailed pending a financial investigation.
Seabrook broke the law as he was an unlicensed director of NPS Security Ltd between 6th August 2018 (when he started the company) and 13th July 2019. During that time he supplied security services to a number of pubs in South Wales including The White Hart, The Hole in the Wall (the Royal Exchange) in Brynmawr, The Carpenters Arms in Newport, The Ferns, the Wine Vaults and The Victoria pub.
The prosecution against Mr Seabrook was brought by the SIA after information was provided by Gwent Police. The SIA sought information from Mr Seabrook which he failed to provide, and when interviewed he admitted that he had been operating his business without a licence.
In sentencing Mr Seabrook, His Honour Judge Jeremy Jenkins, said: “What you have been found guilty of doing is running a company….that should have been licensed. You formed your company in August 2018. I do accept that you entered the industry with naivety but by January 2019 you knew you needed a licence. You should have applied before. You applied later on, but because of what had happened between that time and your application your licence was disallowed. It was imperative that you, as a director were licensed and you were not – that is a serious matter.”
Nathan Salmon, one of the SIA’s criminal investigations managers, said: “The private security industry is regulated because Parliament has deemed its operatives require licensing, aimed at protecting the public. These regulations are not a barrier for new businesses and the industry continues to grow with new entrants. However, the licensing of operatives, and their managers and directors, remains a requirement to trade lawfully. Mr Seabrook was aware he needed to be licensed, a Google search had told him so, yet he continued to trade without making his own licence application. This has now placed his business and assets at risk.”
Nicholas Seabrook will be sentenced in the New Year.
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