Unlicensed Security Boss Fined £1,250 Over Illegal Guards Scandal
Butler Caught Out in Newtownards Security Sting
Christopher Butler was slapped with a £750 fine and ordered to pay £500 in prosecution costs at Laganside Crown Court on Tuesday, 28 March 2023. The sentence follows his guilty plea back in January for supplying illegal security staff to a bar and restaurant in Newtownards, County Down, in October 2019.
Secret Police Raid Uncovers Unlicensed Operatives
The Security Industry Authority (SIA), in a joint operation with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), uncovered Butler’s dodgy dealings during licensing inspections on 12 October 2019. Two unlicensed security guards were caught working inside the venue. Butler’s company, Strangford Security, had supplied these illegal operatives repeatedly between June and November 2019 — one guard worked 21 shifts, the other 12.
Dodgy Cover-Up Fails as Butler Evades Full Disclosure
Despite some cooperation from Butler’s solicitor in November 2019, critical details were withheld. The lists given to the SIA omitted the names of the illegal guards, masking the full scale of the offence.
SIA Cracks Down: Proceeds of Crime Probe Underway
Jenny Hart, Criminal Investigation Manager at the SIA, blasted Butler’s reckless actions:
“Mr Butler supplied unlicensed security operatives who worked illegally in a restaurant and bar, putting customers at risk from people who were wholly unsuitable. His actions damaged the venue’s reputation, and he tried to evade the regulatory regime by providing false information and failing to reveal the full extent of his criminality to the SIA. The sentence reflected Mr Butler’s ill health, but we will pursue proceeds of crime enquiries and continue cracking down on illegal security supply across Northern Ireland.”
