Man who sold illegal boxes showing Sky and BT Sport flees to Cyprus to avoid justice

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A man convicted of selling set top boxes giving illegal access to Sky TV, BT Sports and Virgin has fled to northern Cyprus, a court heard.

Michael Hornung, 38, of Tameside, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for selling unauthorised decoders, selling articles for use in fraud and advertising unauthorised decoders for sale.

He was found guilty in his absence following a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court last month. He failed to attend a sentencing hearing on Thursday, with the court told he had fled to Turkish-controlled Northern Cyprus, a territory with which the UK has no extradition treaty.

Hornung, formerly of Hyde, is estimated to to have sold around 2,700 set top boxes over a three year period between January 2014 and January 2017.