Mastermind of £7m Premier League streaming fraud busted in his pyjamas

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    A bloke who was the mastermind behind a £7million Premier League streaming scam was busted by police in his pyjamas, new images have revealed.

    Mark Gould was arrested in his posh flat in Greenwich, London in 2018, and has now been jailed.

    Alongside five others, he streamed Premier League matches to tens of thousands of football mad fans around the world.

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    Charging just £10 per month, it is thought that the gang made £7million from their 50,000 subscribers.

    To compare, Sky charges around £18 just for one sports channel per month.

    At a hearing at Chesterfield Crown Court today (May 30), he was jailed for 11 years on charges of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and contempt of court.

    And it was during the hearing that footage of his arrest was shown, as he was seen sitting on a big couch in his pyjamas.

    The 36-year-old will now spend his time behind bars, as will Steven Gordon, Peter Jolley William Brown and Christopher Felvus – they were given between three and five years.

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    The latter bloke was also found guilty of voyeurism and possessing indecent images of children, which were found on his computer.

    A sixth member of the gang, Zak Smith, didn't turn up at court and there is now a warrant out for his arrest.

    Premier League general counsel Kevin Plumb said: "Today's sentencing is the result of a long and complex prosecution of a highly sophisticated operation.

    “The sentences handed down, which are the longest sentences ever issued for piracy-related crimes, vindicate the efforts made to bring these individuals to justice and reflect the severity and extent of the crimes.

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    “This prosecution is another concrete example of the clear links between piracy and wider criminality, a warning we repeatedly make.

    “While most Premier League fans enjoy watching our games in a safe way, those who were customers of these services were effectively supporting individuals involved in other sinister and dangerous organised crime.”

    Calls have been growing in recent months for the Premier League to drop its 3pm Saturday blackout and allow fans to watch ever single live game on television.

    It would bring the UK in-line with most other countries around the world who get to watch more Premier League live football than viewers in the country where it originates from.

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    However, Mr Plumb went on: “The Premier League's substantial financial contribution to the entire football pyramid is made possible through the ability to sell our broadcast rights.

    “We are pleased that through rulings such as this, the courts continue to show that they recognise the importance of safeguarding the Premier League's rights.

    “We will continue to protect our rights and our fans by investigating and prosecuting illegal operators at all levels.”

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