Terrence O'Reilly and William O'Leary were today sentenced to a combined total of 6 years' imprisonment for conspiracy to defraud following the conclusion of a private prosecution undertaken by QEB Hollis Whiteman members David Groome and Ari Alibhai on behalf of football association Premier League. O'Reilly was a ringleader of an organised pan European group of conspirators who illegally harvested premium television broadcasts from around the world including output from Sky, NBC, and BEIN sports and redistributed them via the internet to both commercial and domestic customers. The defendants captured the signals via data centres located in Spain, Bulgaria and Liverpool and sold illicit subscriptions in particular to pubs and clubs who wished to televise all 380 Pemier League football matches within a given season. The fraud generated over £1.3 million and caused very significant losses well in excess of the fraud's turnover to the football and broadcast industries
Sentencing the pair, HHJ Spencer QC described the fraud as requiring a high degree of sophistication and planning, and commended the prosecution team for its 'fair and professional' approach during the 5 week trial.