Coleraine DJ Receives 6-Month Sentence

A Coleraine disc jockey has received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, after cancelling wedding bookings he had made on the false premise that his father had died.

Michael Stockman, trading as North West Discos, was convicted of nine offences in total.

Between January 2012 and September 2012 Mr Stockman received a total of £800 in cash from six consumers prior to their weddings or parties.

In four of the cases Mr Stockman took the money from his customers after meeting them at their homes or arranging for them to call at his home address.

But in every case he then failed to provide his services as a DJ and, in several of the cases, texted the complainants on the morning of their wedding and cancelled the booking.

On four of the occasions, Mr Stockman claimed that his father had died the previous day or morning, but still continued to make bookings and take payments from his victims. He did not refund any of the money owed to the consumers.

The case was brought by the Trading Standards Service of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment following complaints from a number of consumers.

District Judge Liam Kelly also issued compensation orders totalling £800 in favour of the six victims.

Moira Todd of the Trading Standards Service said: "Michael Stockman was callous in the extreme, telling lie after lie. His actions left six couples on the eve or day of their wedding facing the prospect of having no entertainment for their reception. He caused anguish and upset and then compounded this by ignoring requests to refund the money paid. It is Trading Standards belief that Michael Stockman never intended to fulfil these bookings."

(IT)