Bosses ‘earned £250,000 from illegal sperm delivery firm’

Two directors of an illegal online fertility company earned more than £250,000 running a sperm home delivery service, a court heard today.

Ricky Gage, 48, and Nigel Woodforth, 42, promised to "fulfil the dreams" of childless couples and single women.

Charging £380, clients could access details of anonymous donors and select potential fathers using criteria such as "height, eye colour, ethnic origin, hobbies and education".

Each order of £150 sperm was placed via the website first4fertility.com and then delivered by couriers, Southwark crown court heard. The anonymous donors received £50.

In a landmark case, Gage and Woodforth are accused of running the business without a licence and illegally "procuring gametes for human application" between October 2007 and November 2008.

Prosecutor Phillip Bennetts said: "The website introduced men who wished to supply sperm to women who wished to use the sperm to inseminate themselves. The female paid a joining fee and was provided access to details of male donors."

Mr Bennetts said that under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act it was illegal to "procure, test, process, or distribute any gametes intended for application" without a licence. The court heard the business was so successful that the accused could turn over up to £17,000 a month.

In July 2006 the businessmen were told they would need a licence due to new legislation. A few months later Gage submitted a licensing form for his company, Sperm Direct, but it was not filled in properly and no licence was issued.

Despite warnings that they were committing an offence they continued to trade as normal. Gage and Woodforth were arrested following a covert internet investigation. Gage, of Sonning, Reading, and Woodforth, of Reading, both deny two counts of procuring gametes for human application.

The case continues.