Belfast sex shop owners prosecuted

Three Belfast city centre sex shops have been fined and charged in relation to the trading of adult videos and DVD's without a licence.

The Gemini, Private Lines and MissTique stores were all fined after Belfast City Council undertook a number of prosecutions as a result of warrants issued in March last year.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard today that trading standards officers visited premises in North Street Arcade which traded under the name Gemini in December 2001. They found adult videos and DVDs which were either unclassified or could only be sold in a licensed sex shop. The premises held no such licence and as a result officers seized 173 videos and 70 DVDs which resulted in the nine charges under the Video Recordings Act 1984 which were laid before the court.

Mark Byatt, trading as Gemini, North Street Arcade, pleaded guilty and was fined £1,000 with £107 costs as a result of the find. He was also prosecuted by the Trading Standards Department in relation to the sale of restricted ‘18’ video material and the sale of unclassified video material, and was fined £250 in respect of each of nine counts, and a confiscation order also was granted.

Meanwhile, Paul McDonald, trading as Private Lines, Gresham Street, was convicted in his absence after the Court heard evidence that he had been operating an unlicensed sex establishment. He was fined £2,000 with £107 costs.

Lisa Fitzwilliams, trading as MissTique, Gresham Street, was convicted in her absence after the court heard evidence that she had been operating an unlicensed sex establishment. She was also fined £2,000 with £107 costs.

Prosecutions against three other premises were adjourned today.

The decision to block the licences where taken after a number of complaints were lodged from local residents who voiced concern at the contents of shops on Gresham Street and North Queen Street. Objections were also raised about some of the applicants themselves.

(MB)