Featured Image: Shaun Donnelly on Unsplash
Two men who conned Liverpool supporters out of thousands of pounds as they desperately tried to secure tickets for the 2022 UEFA Champions League final in Paris have been sentenced.
One victim paid £8,500 (€10,000/$11,000) for top tier ‘Category One’ tickets, while two other men paid £2,500 for two tickets each, according to the BBC.
However, no tickets ever arrived and the money was not returned.
John Stuart, 42, of Kirkby was jailed for eight months, while Greg O’Neill, 41, of Prescot, was handed a two-year community order for his part in the scam at Liverpool Crown Court.
The Crown Prosecution Service said that the victims had been in contact with Stuart via his mobile phone, with the money paid into the bank account of O’Neill and transferred to Stuart’s family and friends.
After the men realised they had been scammed, Stuart admitted that he did not have the tickets and said he would try to pay the money back. When arrested in October 2022, Stuart once again admitted to taking the money and not providing any tickets, but said it was due to circumstances beyond his control. He has been ordered to repay the full amounts to the victims.
“John Stuart is a heartless ticket scammer who stole thousands of pounds from LFC fans who were keen to see their team in the Champions League Final,” said District Crown Prosecutor Brian Forshaw.
“Stuart exploited their enthusiasm and he never returned any of their money.”
Liverpool faced Spain’s Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League final, which saw kick-off delayed by more than half an hour as thousands of fans were stranded outside of the Stade de France. Some fans queued for more than two hours, while videos appeared on social media showing police using pepper spray and tear gas on supporters.
UEFA apologised to Liverpool supporters following an independent review into the events, which found that the governing body of football in Europe bore primary responsibility for the failures surrounding the final.
Share this