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Counterfeiters based in south-east England have been jailed for nearly three years combined after they were found selling fake perfume and clothing on a retail website.
Patrick Morris, 65, and James Cumming, 42, were both found guilty of selling trademark infringing goods on the website a-bit-of-magic.co.uk. They were both sentenced to 16 months in prison at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday (January 21).
They were estimated to have earned £120,000 ($180,000) from sales of counterfeit products since setting up the website in 2011.
In November 2012, officials from Trading Standards seized 500 products from their home in Canterbury worth an estimated £12,000.
Mark Rolfe, manager of Trading Standards, said: “All the goods seized were confirmed by the trademark holders as being counterfeit.
“The scale of offending was such that the gross profit from the business amounted to over £120,000, with in excess of 5,000 consumers buying from the website.
“Those who deal in counterfeit goods can expect to be prosecuted and can face prison sentences,” he added.
counterfeits; Patrick Morris; James Cumming; online retail; perfumes; clothing; Trading Standards; online counterfeiting
