On 6 November, at Caernarfon Crown Court, Mark Pursglove was sentenced for working without a licence following several hearings in October 2017 and September 2017.
At this latest hearing, Pursglove was given a 4-month prison sentence suspended for 2 years. He was also sentenced to a community order of 150 hours unpaid work. As part of this hearing, Pursglove was referred for the confiscation of assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act (2002). As a result, a confiscation timetable was set.
Pursglove is a serial offender, he was found guilty of working without a licence on 14 September and this is the second time he has been prosecuted; in February 2016, he was found guilty of supplying unlicensed security operatives.
When sentencing Pursglove, the Judge said: “I do not think you appreciate how serious this matter is. A licence is required for public protection. It ensures that the public know that when they are at their most vulnerable, for example when they are drunk; there are “calm heads” around who have their best interests at heart.
“The Court takes a serious view of this. You breached your licence in 2016 and a substantial financial penalty was imposed (over £8,000). You lost your licence in early 2016 and you tried to manufacture your way around this.
“You were found guilty by the magistrates of two serious offences. The matter is aggravated by your failure to admit your guilt and to show contrition to the probation officer ahead of the hearing today.”
Nathan Salmon, the Criminal Investigations Manager ,also said: “I am hopeful that Mr Pursglove’s sentence will stop his involvement in the private security industry. For several years, the SIA has had to use the strongest sanction and prosecute Mr Pursglove because of his ongoing offending. However, he was arrogant and wilfully ignored his 2016 conviction and the loss of his licence, a matter which the SIA could not ignore.
“We will pursue the recovery of Mr Pursglove’s assets, which he has as a result of his crimes. This action will prevent the reinvestment of profits made by criminals and limit their unfair advantage over legitimate businesses.”
The next hearing will be at Caernarfon Crown Court on 9 April 2018. Pursglove will be ordered to pay a victim surcharge and costs at the end of confiscation proceedings.