Music pirate's huge court bill

11:26am Wednesday 21st May 2008

A DUDLEY teenager who supplied music to a pirate radio station has been slapped with a £1,200 court bill.

Jamie Lee Price, of Tansley Hill Avenue, was one of four men arrested on October 11 when police and Ofcom officers raided a flat in the town used as a base to broadcast pirate station KRISS FM.

The 19-year-old, who was questioned by officers at the scene, admitted taking CD's and a memory stick to the property which contained music and jingles intended for broadcast on the station.

He also admitted acting as a DJ at the station in the weeks leading up to the raid.

Lester Moddrell, prosecuting on behalf of Ofcom, told Dudley Magistrates Court on Thursday how the flat on Hill Street contained mixers, studio equipment and a "whole set up for running a pirate radio station."

The court heard how the entrance to the property was watched by CCTV cameras to forewarn anyone broadcasting of raids.

Mr Moddrell said KRISS FM had been since 1998 and had attracted a large number of complaints from BBC Radio WM.

He added: "There have been a number of raids over the years on the station.

"The men caught in this raid can very much be described as the foot soldiers of the operation."

Price pleaded guilty to charges of supplying unauthorised sound for broadcasting and using wireless telegraphy for making a broadcast and was given an 18 month conditional discharge in addition to the costs.

Leighton Cooper, of St Giles Close, Rowley Regis, was also arrested in the raid and pleaded guilty to supplying unauthorised sound for broadcasting. He was given a one year conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £1,000.

Shabeer Qureshi, defending, said both men became aware of the station after listening on the radio, but were not aware at first it was a pirate station.

He said: "They were not the ringleaders and they were not the driving force of KRISS FM.

"The events of that evening have put the fear of god into them, they never realised the situation they were getting themselves into.

"They realise how foolish they have been and how silly they have been."

EDITOR'S CHOICE