A Bleadon man has been sentenced to 100 hours of
community work and pay thousands of pounds in costs after pleading
guilty to offences of selling counterfeit goods and possessing
counterfeit goods intending to sell them.
Darren Ward of Bleadon was ordered to pay almost £6,900 in costs
and sentenced to the community work when he appeared at North
Somerset Magistrates Court on Friday May 21. He entered
guilty pleas to 13 offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994.
The court was told that in May 2009 the North Somerset Council’s
Trading Standards Service purchased two pairs of what were
counterfeit trainers from him on e-bay where he used trading name
‘Massive UK Clearance’. A purchase of trainers was also made from
Mr Ward’s business premises at Bridgewater Court, Oldmixon
Crescent, Weston-super-Mare where he used the trading name Total
Choice.
A raid on his business premises was carried out by trading
standards officers with the assistance of police in July 2009 and
Mr Ward was arrested. Counterfeit goods comprising of 37 pairs
of Nike trainers, seven pairs of Adidas trainers, 22 pairs of
Lacoste trainers and nine Adidas jogging pants were seized and have
now been forfeited for destruction. Enquiries have not identified
the supplier.
Cllr Peter Bryant, executive member responsible for
trading standards, said: "In these tough economic times it is our
responsibility to protect honest traders from unfair competition.
These counterfeit goods are not worth the money paid for them as
they are of significantly inferior quality to the genuine item.
"We will take firm action against any rogue traders who exploit
consumers and undermine honest traders."
