'Booze Monkey' caught selling alcohol to order to child
A MAN who set himself up as Booze Monkeys used Facebook to illegally sell alcohol.
Richard Wright used the social networking site to market his business and then delivered the drink by car.
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police sting: Richard Wright
But he was caught when police set up a sting operation involving a 15-year-old.
Police had received a number of complaints about the business – including underage selling – and set up a sting where the teenage boy contacted Booze Monkeys and asked for a delivery of alcohol.
Wright met the boy in Villa Street, Beeston, and sold him alcohol in the early hours of February 13. Police and trading standards officers were watching and he was arrested.
Wright claimed he thought the boy looked old enough to buy alcohol.
The 27-year-old, of Wheatley Drive, Carlton, pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates' Court to selling alcohol to an underage person, and unauthorised licensable activity.
Paul Hughes, prosecuting, said: "He had a Facebook site displaying his mobile phone number, which was open for anybody to use that number and to call for alcohol. That website had been in existence for at least six months displaying the defendant's contact details."
Steven Ramsell, defending, said Wright did not realise what he was doing was illegal. He added: "He thought he could legally sell the alcohol as something akin to a wholesaler."
Mr Ramsell also explained how the business worked: "Mr Wright receives a call asking for alcohol. He will go and visit a 24-hour Asda or Tesco, buy the alcohol and take it round to them.
"His friend passed a number to another friend. It was passed around again within social circles. It's been suggested there was a website, but it was not a website, it was a Facebook page where friends could join and others who knew of the existence of it could get the phone number."
Afterwards Paul Horton, police licensing officer for south Notts, said: "If people are going to sell alcohol to under 18s in the street they will face the same as this person is going to face, if not more serious.
"We are not going to tolerate it, because underage drinking leads to anti-social behaviour, and it follows on from there.
"Selling to underage people is an offence, but delivering alcohol to underage people in the street at that time of night is totally irresponsible."
Wright will be sentenced tomorrow.
36 Comments
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by Nat, at home
Thursday, March 18 2010, 7:37PM
“Technically Richard was actually doin nothing wrong in the form of selling to an actual adult not the kid. As NO money passed hands with the youngster then they cannot say he sold it to him. He passed money with the adult so therefore the transaction was not illegal.
I would also say that thanks to Richard i can imagine there were fewer drunk drivers in the time he was set up as they didnt need to get in the car and drive to get more booze when it was delivered to them. The police wanna take note of what he was doin and actually look into gettin a licence to actually be able to do this, It would save a lot of lives as there wouldnt be half the amount of drunk drivers goin out to get more booze when run out and therefore injuring innocent passers by etc.
I cant believe the real bad comments some people have put, i mean do u really believe everything this paper writes. all they wanna do is sell news so they make half of it up, They cant even get details like ages right. I mean were they there do they know the full story, No they only know what they wanna know and write what they think will sell.
Glad you got off semi lightly Richard.”
by neighbour, Carlton
Friday, March 12 2010, 12:17PM
“We have lived in Notts all our lives and never heard the local slang 'Booze Monkey'. We have a local business with which we see a huge mix of different people ages etc. We have been asking them if they know what a Booze Monkey is and not one has ever heard of it. This shows just what type of sensationalistic article has been written. Typical of the Evening Post to have to put something like this on the front page and typical of the Police's approach to detecting crime, employing a child in the early hours of the morning to try and catch someone. What a sneaky way to do it! Surely if he was doing this all the time all the Police would have to do is follow him and record him. Whenever we see him he comes across as a very responsible person of good character and a very good neighbour. We do not agree with selling alcohol to children but due to the very biased article in the Post it seems things have been blown out of proportion.”
by m, gedling
Friday, March 12 2010, 12:02AM
“but it doesnt take away the fact the police played with an innocent teen , kept him awake til all hours in order to satisfy their favours,
surely there should be some law against this ?
what did the teen get in return apart from some cheap booze ?
hmm,”
by m, gedling
Thursday, March 11 2010, 11:54PM
“booze monkeys friend i can agree with your thoughts entirely, tis good to hear both sides of the story, your stance is well adhered ,”
by Booze monkey friend, Nottingham
Thursday, March 11 2010, 11:27AM
“I know what Richard Wright did was wrong and he deserved everything he got but what is also wrong is that the post can print only what they think makes him look so bad. There is nothing about the plain clothed police officer who after coming from a house not a street corner with the 15 year old took the money from the youngster and handed it to Wright who then returned the alcohol so who committed the real crime Wright or the police buying it for the youngster.
As a friend he tells me he has never sold to a youngster before and if this youngster weren¿t with this older person would not have sold it this time either.
Youngsters have tried before but never received any alcohol from him. I know we only have his word for this, but there has never been any evidence of it or charges.
In the latest news report they say ¿Booze monkey¿ is local slang for someone who provides alcohol for underage drinkers, what a load of rubbish that is.
Lets now see if the drink driving for more alcohol late at night goes up now booze monkeys has ended.
Before you all start shouting back we are not proud of what he did but are proud when he was caught he held his hands up and pleaded guilty without contesting anything they said.
Now ask yourselves what are the police doing having a youngster working with them at 1.30 am. Don¿t judge people without the full facts.
And to the person who¿s comment says he was selling other than alcohol wants to drag his mind out of the gutter and stop putting the wrong ideas into people¿s minds.
Are maybe its your confession you are making.”