Dad jailed for selling 'dodgy Fire Sticks’ to stream Premier League football compared himself to 'Robin Hood'
13 November 2024, 08:24 | Updated: 13 November 2024, 08:25
A father-of-two has been jailed for selling “dodgy” Amazon Fire Sticks that illegally streamed Premier League football matches to users across the country.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Jonathan Edge, from Liverpool, was remanded in custody last month and was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to offences under the Fraud Act.
He was jailed for three years and four months, the Premier League confirmed in a statement.
This included a separate, concurrent sentence of two years and three months for viewing the content he supplied.
As the cost of watching Premier League football continues to rise in the UK, thousands have adopted these so-called “dodgy” Amazon Fire Sticks which for a small fee allows users to stream all the television they want.
Read more: Watch as Trump's new Defence Secretary pick hits drummer with axe on TV
Edge ran his illicit business out of his Liverpool home and used Facebook and word of mouth to boost sales.
The 29-year-old dad ignored multiple warnings before his arrest.
Kevin Plumb, Premier League general counsel, said: "The significant sentence handed down to the individual involved once again serves to highlight the severity of his actions.
"We will continue to pursue legal action against those supplying unauthorised access to Premier League football, regardless of the scale or mode of operation. Ignoring warnings to stop only served to make the consequences worse for the individual."
But Edge’s defence argued he was acting as a kind of “Robin Hood” for poor football fans.
Julian Nutter, defending, said: "Whether or not he made a significant profit is an issue which is raised.
"The point should be made on his behalf that the people who would buy his products would not be people who are likely to have the money to buy a Sky subscription."
Detective Sergeant Steve Frame from Merseyside Police said: "Merseyside Police is committed to working in collaboration to investigate intellectual property theft and we welcome today's sentence handed to Edge.
"Many people see no harm in illegally streaming TV services but they are wrong, and this outcome should serve as a further warning how seriously such copyright theft continues to be taken."
