BIG BOTHER

SFA REF BROTHER DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF TACTICS MILESTONE COURT WIN

THE chairman of National Trading Standards, Lord Toby Harris, said the prosecution of Hunter and Smith, below, was an “important milestone in the fight to tackle online ticket touts”.

Trading Standards bosses have warned the practice of using other people’s cards to buy tickets meant touts were “rendering those persons liable to arrest and prosecution for those offences of fraud or aiding and abetting fraud”. his brother’s business. The bank refused to comment but we understand that he denied all knowledge of his brother using his identity.

Supertouts Hunter, 51, and Smith, 66, used the bank cards of friends and family to buy tickets from primary sites such as Ticketmaster and resell them on secondary sites.

A jury agreed with the prosecution that the tactics, which netted them at least £11million between 2010 and 2017, amounted to fraudulent trading.

We have evidence of Andrew Newman adopting similar tactics.

Our source in 2017 provided us with documentary evidence of cards used by Andrew Newman that had been issued to Chris Newman, mum Carole, dad Gary and other associates. Our source told us: “Newman isn’t alone in doing this.

“By the time he multiplies the price and Get Me In! or StubHub or Viagogo add their massive commission on top, the opportunity has gone for regular fans, unless they want to put themselves in financial hardship.

“He just keeps amassing the fortunes and he doesn’t seem to care if he brings this scandal to the door of his family and friends.”

Chris Newman’s role with RBS involves “trying to minimise risk to the bank by finding fraudsters before they have committed fraud against the bank”.

Andrew Newman claims he has stopped using multi-identity tactics but he has banked more than £3million through his tout operations in recent years.