23 January 2003
Three pirate broadcasters, involved with an unlicensed broadcasting station in Ladywood, Birmingham, were some of the nine defendants scheduled to appear before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday 17th January.
Russell John Glover (25) of Bucklands End Lane, Hodge Hill, Lee Bates (30) of Rivington Crescent, Kingstanding and Scott Gerrard Molloy (25) of Earlsbury Gardens, Perry Barr, who pleaded gulity to the unlicensed use of telegraphy apparatus, were each given an 18 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £200 towards prosecution costs.
Anamaria Gibbons (32) and Jason Ball (30) of Dovecote Close Tipton, Liam Eversley (20) of Newhope Close, Lee Bank and Randip Singh Pandhal (23) of Meschines Street, Coventry pleaded not gulity to charges in connection with unlicensed broadcasting. Gibbons, Ball and Eversley were remanded until 14th March for pre-trial review while Pandhal elected Crown Court Trial.
Timothy St. Prix (35) of Sandringham Road, Perry Barr and Justin Steele (27) of Newhope Close and Lee Bank did not attend court and their cases were adjourned until 31st January.
Unlicensed transmissions were traced to Bishopsgate House, Ladywood, so a search warrant, granted by Birmingham Magistrates’ Court was executed by officers from the Radiocommunications Agency accompanied by police officers.
On the first floor, two complete pirate radio stations were discovered, one transmitting as Kool FM, the other broadcasting as Sweet FM. The equipment was seized by officers from Radiocommunications Agency.
Glover and Bates were on the premises and during interview admitted to being disc jockeys on the pirate radio station Kool FM. Molloy was subsequently traced and when interviewed also admitted being a disc jockey on Kool FM.
Monitoring of Kool FM transmissions has already led to the seizure of 22 illegal transmitters that have been responsible for interference to radio stations as far afield as Leicester. Non-compliant or inferior quality equipment used by unlicensed stations can result in interference to other radio users, including that of the aeronautical and emergency services.