Crime Solicitors

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Trading Standards team has prosecuted two local retailers for selling counterfeit goods.

The two Trading Standards cases involve the owner of a Windsor shop and the director of a Maidenhead-based online retailer.

The shop – Piara and Garden Café – is situated in a prime tourist location in Windsor’s Alexandra Park and was discovered stocking large quantities of counterfeit goods.

In September 2014, officers from Trading Standards seized more than 500 items with a retail value of over £4,000 from the shop, which is owned by 72-year-old Mahmud Ahmed. Counterfeit items included T-shirts, lighters and mobile phone covers, branded as Jack Daniel’s, Obey, Boy London, Hugo Boss and One Direction.

Mr Ahmed pleaded guilty to nine charges under the Trade Marks Act – and a forfeiture order was made so the items could be destroyed.

In defence of Mr Ahmed, the court heard that it had been ignorance of the law and being provided with the offending goods by unscrupulous suppliers that had led to the offences being committed.

At Reading Magistrates’ Court, the shop was ordered to pay £1,510 in fines and legal costs.

In the second case, a large warehouse in Maidenhead which was the base for an online retailer behind a glossy website, was investigated by Trading Standards after they began receiving various complaints about the company in July 2014 – most of the complaints involved allegations of sales of counterfeit goods.

In September 2014, officers from Trading Standards visited the warehouse at Maidenhead Trade Park in Prior Way and seized more than 300 counterfeit goods, mostly clothing items and timepieces.

The value of the counterfeit goods seized was just over £2,500 – if genuine, the goods would have been valued at more than £13,500.

In December 2015, Rogers pleaded guilty to 15 offences involving counterfeit watches, clocks and clothing illegally bearing the trademarks of Marvel, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Hasbro and Disney – a forfeiture order was also granted by the court for the illegal goods to be destroyed.

In defence, the court heard that the company has now been liquidated and Rogers is now unemployed.

At Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday 22 January 2016, the director of Social Discount Network Ltd, Phillip Rogers, was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order. He was also ordered to pay £4,000 in legal costs.

Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers

Duncan Lewis crime lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge involving counterfeit goods or public protection offences such as mislabelling, selling defective produce, weights and measures offences, selling illegal alcohol or tobacco – and breaches of food hygiene or health and safety.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and a criminal defence lawyer can usually reach a police station for interview under caution within an hour.

For expert legal advice on public protection offences and counterfeit goods, call Duncan Lewis crime lawyers on 0333 772 0409.

For 24/7 Help at a police station, call the Duncan Lewis Emergency Helpline on 0333 772 0607.