Coleraine DJ given suspended jail term

Between January 2012 and September 2012 Mr Stockman took a total of £800 in cash from six consumers prior to their weddings or parties. In four of the cases Mr Stockman took cash directly from the consumers after meeting them at their homes or arranging for them to call at his home address. In all of the cases Mr Stockman failed to provide his services as a DJ and in several of the cases he texted the complainants on the morning of their wedding and cancelled the booking.

The excuse for cancelling on four different occasions between the start of August 2012 and end of September 2012 was that his father had died the previous day/morning. During this period Mr Stockman continued to make bookings and take payments from his victims. Mr Stockman did not refund any of the money owed to the consumers.

The case was brought by the Trading Standards Service of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment following complaints from a number of consumers. In sentencing district Judge Liam Kelly also issued compensation orders totalling £800 in favour of the six victims.

Moira Todd of the Trading Standards Service said: “Michael Stockman was callous in the extreme, telling lie after lie. His actions left six couples on the eve or day of their wedding facing the prospect of having no entertainment for their reception. He caused anguish and upset and then compounded this by ignoring requests to refund the money paid. It is Trading Standards belief that Michael Stockman never intended to fulfil these bookings.”