Two Kiwi men among trio jailed in Singapore over fake Ed Sheeran concert passes

The two New Zealanders were among a trio jailed for their use of the fraudulent concert tickets. Photo / Dean Purcell

Two New Zealanders are among a trio jailed in Singapore over the use of forged passes for Ed Sheeran's recent concert.

TheStraits Times reported Kiwi men Scott Penk and Michael Hardgrave admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to use a forged concert pass on November 12, with the intention that it was believed it was issued by the organiser - AEG Presents Asia.

A third man, who was from Britain, also admitted to using a forged "Ed Sheeran All Area Access Family and Guests" pass at the stadium that evening.

All three men were sentenced to four weeks' jail and two other people were charged for their involvement in similar offending.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tow Chew Chi told the Straits Times Penk and Hardgrave obtained several forged passes from unknown people outside the stadium on November 12.

They then used the passes to take others into the stadium for a fee to watch the performance. Hardgrave helped two teenage girls into the stadium by donning one of the passes and handing each of the girls a forged pass to wear.

Once inside the girls paid Hardgrave SG$200 ($213) which he handed over to Penk.

The Kiwi did the same for five other people, who paid him a total of $450. Together, the men collected $1050 from their fraudulent use of the forged passes.

Tickets for the concert, held on November 11 and 12, cost between $108 and $248.

They were then detained by stadium staff, the Straits Times reported.

British man Martin Keane was jailed for similar offending. He took four people into the concert on two occasions and collected $250 from each of them.

He split the proceeds with an Australian, Paul Cosgrove, who had planned to do the same thing.

Cosgrove had been charged with scheming with another Briton, Luke Simon McKay, and Keane to use forged passes.

He was offered a bail charge of $10,000 and his case would be mentioned next Tuesday. McKay had also been charged and would be back in court on December 8.