Jailed over fake designer gear (From Thisisdorset)

Jailed over fake designer gear

10:43am Saturday 19th April 2008

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A MAN has been jailed over the largest ever haul of counterfeit items seized in Dorset.

Shafiq Hussain, 31, was sentenced to eight months in prison and Mohammed Khan, 21, received a six-month suspended sentence for their involvement in selling counterfeit goods at the Great Dorset Steam Fair in August 2006.

The two Birmingham-based men appeared at Dorchester Crown Court to be sentenced after they admitted nine offences of possessing counterfeit clothing and one charge of selling goods with false trademarks.

Michael Tomlinson, prosecuting, told the court that Dorset Trading Standards officers seized a total of 4,533 items from the two men, who had set up stalls at the steam fair.

He said the stalls had been selling fake items with brand names such as Dolce and Gabana, Henri Lloyd, Lacoste, Nike, Timberland and Prada.

Mr Tomlinson said when they went to inspect the stalls, Trading Standards officers were accompanied by a representative from Lacoste, who confirmed the items were fake.

Khan said he was running the larger stall and confirmed Hussain was in charge of the smaller stall next door.

In interview Khan admitted he was running the stall for someone else but refused to identify them.

Items from the two stalls and stored in a Mercedes parked behind the stalls were taken away to be examined by Trading Standards.

Mr Tomlinson said: "The value of the goods was an estimated £250,000 had they been genuine and even as counterfeit items it was in the region of £50,000."

He added that Hussain had been before Birmingham Magistrates in November 2006 for similar offences of selling counterfeit goods, for which he received a fine.

Jamie Porter, mitigating, said Hussain, of Thornfield Road, Birmingham, was a chronic user of heroin' and this was the reason behind his offending.

He said Khan, of Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham, was an extremely vulnerable man who suffered from Asperger's and had been manipulated by others.

Mr Porter said: "He is a man who simply does not understand what people are doing with him and how they are using him."

Judge John Harrow ordered Hussain to serve an immediate eight-month custodial sentence, while Khan was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for one year, and a 12-month supervision order.

Judge Harrow said: "This was a substantial enterprise.

"You had 4,500 items which you could have sold and even as counterfeit they had an estimated value of £50,000.

"The effect of your behaviour is consumers are deceived and the reputations of the manufactures are undermined."

Speaking after the sentencing, divisional trading standards manager for Dorset Ivan Hancock said: "This was the biggest seizure of counterfeit clothing in Dorset ever by trading standards.

"The fact that someone ends up in custody for it shows how seriously these things are taken.

"Unfortunately we do get people coming from outside Dorset and using Dorset markets to flog counterfeit items.

"Dorset market traders have been very responsible generally but people are coming in from outside the county to abuse the local customers and retailers to some extent."

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