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Tuesday 11 December 2018

YouTube Pranksters Convicted of Aggravated Trespass


Two high profile YouTube pranksters have been convicted of aggravated trespass after breaking into the Celebrity Big Brother house during a live eviction show.

Ally Law and Ryan Taylor were arrested at the TV studio in Hertfordshire in January amid fears of a terrorist incident, Magistrates were told.

It was the second time in a week they had sneaked into the studio, St Albans Magistrates' Court heard.

The pair were found guilty of two charges of aggravated trespass, contrary to section 68 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The maximum penalty for this offence is 3 months imprisonment and/or a fine at level 4 on the standard scale, which is currently £2,500.

The court could also impose a criminal behaviour order, which could seriously restrict the pair's future YouTube endeavours.

Law, 21, of Hepworth Close, Southampton, has nearly 2.2m subscribers on YouTube; Taylor, 25, of Lichfield Road, Bloxwich, has more than 1.5m.

Having defeated Big Brother's security arrangements, Law dropped his trousers and jumped into the housemates' hot tub. Security guards quickly arrived on the scene, one of whom jumped into the hot tub to remove Law.

Law and Taylor were wearing GoPro cameras as they climbed over the fence and made their way along a set of outside walkways, staircases and scaffolding at the back of the set.

A TV clip was played to the court of the moment during an eviction announcement when some housemates alerted Big Brother the intruders were outside. Unsure of the intruders' intentions, a decision was taken to confine the housemates to their rooms for their own safety.

In a police interview, Law said his only intention was to provide "entertainment" and apologised for "any fear" he might have caused.

The previous week the pair had also filmed themselves conducting a dummy run of the stunt. That footage showed them climbing staircases, ladders and fire escapes to gain access into the house's loft.

Prosecutor Clinton Hadgill said security staff only discovered an intrusion had happened on that occasion when live footage of the pair at the house in Elstree was shared on Snapchat.

Taylor said in his police interview that having posted a short clip online from the 19 January intrusion, he had been contacted by the "media" and asked to go back inside.

He said he had been "motivated by money".

Solicitors defending the pair both claimed the intrusion was carried out as a "prank" and fines should be imposed as "actual disruption and harm was quite limited".

The pair are due to be sentenced on 5th March 2019.

Law in particular is well known for this type of stunt. His YouTube channel contains footage of him scaling the Severn Bridge, Canary Wharf's One Canada Square and Blackpool Pleasure Beach's Big One roller coaster.

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