NoSweat Journalism Training director Steve Ward has received a two-year conditional discharge and been ordered to pay compensation to a former student after pleading guilty to four offences of unfair trading.
Press Gazette first revealed on 30 April that NoSweat Journalism had ceased trading and been placed into liquidation.
The company had been unable to agree a rescue package with the company's creditors after hitting financial difficulties when the National Council for the Training of Journalists declined to renew NoSweat's accreditation in August 2011.
The NCTJ said that Ward has now pleaded guilty to four offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 for “misuse of the NCTJ logo on the college website, misuse of NCTJ course material and two offences against named students”.
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Islington Trading Standards agreed to drop the fraud charge against Ward.
The NCTJ released a statement saying:
"The NCTJ is pleased that Highbury magistrates have taken this case seriously and that officers from Islington Trading Standards pursued the matter so vigorously.
"Having reviewed the activities of NoSweat in 2011, the NCTJ made it clear to Stephen Ward that he could no longer trade as a training college offering NCTJ courses.
"The NCTJ deplores and regrets the way its reputation was misused by Mr Ward and the effect of his actions on students."
Steve Ward said: "I am extremely happy that the court thought that these cases were of a nature that they levied such a light sentence. It means I have no stain on my character which I believe is only fair in the circumstances."
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