On 1 August 2025, Mr McAuley was convicted of fraud by false representation and possession of an article used in fraud in Coleraine Magistrates’ Court. He was convicted in his absence on the information available to the court.
This came after he first failed to attend a court hearing for the same offences on 4 July 2025 and the case was adjourned until 1 August. At this point the court warned that should Mr McAuley fail to attend on this date, the matter would be dealt with in his absence.
The court fined him £250 for each offence, as well as ordering him to pay an offender levy of £15, totalling £515. Mr McCauley now has 20 weeks to pay off the full amount of £515.
This prosecution came after Mr McAuley was found working as a door supervisor and in possession of a cloned SIA licence at The Railway Arms, Coleraine, by an SIA investigations officer on 5 May 2023.
Tara Moutray, SIA Criminal Investigations Manager, said:
Martin McAuley put the people of Coleraine at risk by using a cloned SIA licence to work as a door supervisor without undergoing the proper training or licencing process. I am happy he has now been convicted despite his failure to attend court to face the consequences of this decision.
The discovery and prosecution of this fraud is a testament to the service our team of investigations officers provides to the public, both in Northern Ireland and across the rest of the UK.
Background
By law, security operatives working under contract must hold and display a valid SIA licence. Information about SIA enforcement and penalties can be found on GOV.UK/SIA.
The offences relating to the Fraud Act 2006 mentioned above are:
- Section 2 – Fraud by false representation
- Section 6 – Possession of an article used in fraud
The SIA is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the UK, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s main duties are the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).
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