Tout called LFC employee the 'Ronnie Biggs of the ticket office' in WhatsApp chat

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.

Another defendant, Louis James, of Lapford Crescent in Kirkby, earlier admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by abuse of position and two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and was not before the jury.The 37-year-old will now be sentenced alongside Joseph and James Johnson, Rice and Smith on November 28, with the defendants being released on bail until this date and Joseph Johnson being ordered to hand his passport in at St Anne Street Police Station. He was subsequently said to have exchanged messages with Joseph Johnson, described as being "central to the business", before he exited his vehicle, approached the window and was handed the envelopes.This led to the matter being reported to Merseyside Police and James' dismissal from the club.

Messages between the defendants showed the almost daily, minute by minute, exchange about tickets between Louis James and Joseph Johnson from 2016 onwards."Jurors heard of one WhatsApp exchange in August 2015, when Louis James told James Johnson: "My mate has 22 membership cards. In the main, the messages centred around a website that was created after Louis James had been sacked, a website created by Joseph Johnson, Lee Smith and Liam Rice, which was called Seatfinder UK."Overall, it is really what is in the messages which, the prosecution say, demonstrates the dishonesty of these defendants. [Joseph Johnson] originally just had a few laptops set up, harvesting and selling tickets."But that is not how the business ended up.

Much of the evidence will relate to Liverpool FC tickets, but you will also see him selling tickets for other clubs."It is not clear when Joseph Johnson first secured the help of Louis James. But what is evident is that there was a clear business relationship between them that had started, at least, by 2016."Joseph Johnson was meanwhile said to have "used Lee Smith and Liam Rice", "friends and associates" of both him and Louis James, as well as his parents Angela and David Johnson and girlfriend Sian Woodyatt "by using their bank cards, with their knowledge, to obtain memberships and tickets".