Failing to provide information costs security owner over £7,000

The owner of a Teesside security firm was found guilty of providing false information to the Security Industry Authority and ordered to pay over £7,000.

On Monday [5 July], Gary Armstrong, of Central Avenue, Middlesbrough was convicted at Teesside Magistrates’ Court.

In February 2013, the SIA launched an investigation into G&S Protection Services and Armstrong’s role in providing security guards to a construction site in Teesside.

A formal request for information was made by the SIA; however, Armstrong failed to provide the necessary documentation and when interviewed under caution his responses were proven to be false by witnesses.

Armstrong, 38, was charged with one count of failing to provide information and two counts of providing false information to the SIA. He was subsequently fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £5,757.60.

In February 2012, Armstrong was convicted of a string of security offence at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court and ordered to pay over £1,550.

SIA Head of Investigation Nathan Salmon said: “I am very pleased that the court saw fit to impose such a penalty on someone who tried to disregard the industry regulator. The amount of the fine reflects the seriousness of the offending and the fact that this man had a previous conviction for identical offences.”