Northwich couple sentenced for selling counterfeit products online
A Northwich couple who sold counterfeit Sony and Apple products on-line have been both been given Community Order sentences and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £6950 at Chester Crown Court.
Trading Standards Officers from Cheshire West and Chester Council started an investigation into the couple’s businesses after they were made aware of a seller, ‘Neiltvguru’, advertising Apple marked earphones (AirPods) and Sony branded PlayStation 4 handheld controllers via eBay.
After several test purchases which showed the items to be counterfeit, under warrant, Trading Standards officers, together with Cheshire Police, seized 83 counterfeit Apple AirPods, along with other evidence and £5,695 cash. The seized items were later analysed and also confirmed as counterfeit.
At Chester Crown Court; Neil Bundy, 51, of Kingsley Drive, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 8AZ, pleaded guilty all charges against him and his wife Lisa Bundy, 40, of the same address, pleaded guilty to two offences. Neil Bundy received a Community Order for 180 hours, in 18 months, and Lisa Bundy received a Community Order for 80 hours in 12 months.
When going through the facts of the case, Judge Leeming commented:
It was greed not need that motivated you
The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said:
Our Trading Standards officers will vigorously pursue those involved in the sale of counterfeit goods and continue to protect the public and legitimate traders by removing poor quality counterfeit products from the market place.
A Proceeds of Crime Hearing for this case has been set for September.