The court handed Mr El-Akoury an absolute discharge, but he now has a criminal record.
The prosecution follows an incident at the pub when Mr El-Akoury was working illegally as a door supervisor. Nottingham Police investigated the original incident and referred the case to the SIA who suspended Mr El-Akoury's licence. Mr El-Akoury had held a front-line, door supervisor's SIA licence until 03 November 2021. He subsequently renewed his licence to a non front line licence which prevents him from working as a door supervisor.
Mr El-Akoury was interviewed under caution by SIA investigators on 07 July 2022 at Nottingham Central Police Station. During the interview he admitted that he had worked as a door supervisor without the correct licence and had not yet completed his first-aid training.
District Judge Pyle imposed an absolute discharge given that Mr El-Akoury misunderstood the licence renewal process. Mr El-Akoury was not required to pay court costs as he is in receipt of state benefits.
Jenny Hart, one of the SIA's Criminal Investigation Managers, said:
The case serves as a reminder to people that they must ensure they apply for the correct licence and get the right training for the job activities they will be doing. Unfortunately, Mr El-Akoury was working illegally as a front line operative without having completed the basic first aid training required of door supervisors. The training is essential for door supervisors when carrying out their duties. It provides the skills and expertise that will help to protect the public. We are grateful to Nottingham Police for their investigation and for working in partnership with the SIA on this case.
Notes:
- By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence
- Read about SIA enforcement and penalties
- The offence relating to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 that is mentioned above is as follows:
- Section 3 - Working without a licence
