Women Who Sold Designer Fakes Prosecuted

Neighbours who sold an estimated £10,000 of fake designer clothing, footwear, fragrance and bags from their homes in Gilfach Goch have narrowly escaped jail. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Both were prosecuted following a successful investigation by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Trading Standards team, which has won awards and national acclaim for its ongoing work to protect consumers – and legitimate businesses – from the sale of counterfeit goods. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Nicola Roberts-Wyllis, 43 and Christine Carey, 51, lived close to each other in Cambrian Avenue at the time of the offences and both of their homes were searched by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council Trading Standards officers at the end of 2015. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Officers discovered a total of 190 items, including clothes, shoes, handbags, perfume, watches, jewellery, underwear, sunglasses, as well as paperwork, mobile phones and over £1,000 in cash. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Specimen examples of the items seized were sent off to the Trade Marks holders and it was confirmed they were fakes. Among the brand and designer names used on the products were: Michael Kors, Mulberry, Ugg, Chanel, Jimmy Choo, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, Timberland, Canada Goose, Hugo Boss, Jack Wills, The North Face, Giorgio Armani and Tiffany & Co. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mrs Roberts-Wyllis and Mrs Carey were charged with 24 and seven offences respectively under the 1994 Trade Marks Act, relating to the possession of counterfeit items for the purpose of selling them and exposing for sale counterfeit items. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Both admitted the offences at an earlier hearing and the pair appeared before Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on January 26 for sentencing. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The court heard how the warrants were executed by Trading Standards officers in December 2015 following complaints made to the team about the sale of counterfeit items. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Information found on mobile phones seized in the searches show they were operating a business selling counterfeit goods from at least September 2015 up to the date of the search warrants. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Goods and paperwork seized during the house searches showed the pair had undertaken trade in goods relating to some 59 different brand names and dealt with up to 125 different customers, selling in excess of £10,000 worth of stock in those few months. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The court was told Mrs Roberts-Wyllis was the main person operating the businesses and was purchasing stock direct from sources at Cheetham Hill in Manchester, an area closely associated with the supply of counterfeit goods. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Lawyers also said she recruited Mrs Carey to help her with the sale of the goods. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In mitigation, Mrs Roberts-Wyllis’ defence told the court she was a single parent in financial difficulty and had recently moved to Manchester due to family problems. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The court was also told Mrs Carey was of previous good character and bitterly regrets being swept up in the operation. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Judge Twomlow said he accepted the defendants were in different categories and Roberts-Wyllis was the prime mover but Carey was an enthusiastic participant. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He said while the business had only been operating for a short while, it was a professional operation with the potential to make large profits. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He noted that legitimate businesses deserve to be protected because of the harm that counterfeiting can cause them. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mrs Roberts-Wyllis was sentenced to eight month’s custody (suspended for 12 months) and ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work in the community. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mrs Carey was sentenced to four month’s custody, suspended for 12 months and ordered to be electronically tagged and placed under home curfew between the hours of 9pm and 7am for a total of three months. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A forfeiture order was made for all the seized goods and the £1033 in cash seized during the December search warrants. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Paul Mee, Service Director for Public Health and Protection, said: “The number of successful prosecutions of those who offer counterfeit goods for sale continues to increase. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Last year, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Trading Standards Team received a national award for its work to tackle counterfeit goods and that work will continue for as long as there is a problem. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Residents may think there is no harm in buying copied designer goods, so you can get the look and the name without paying the price. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“At best you will buy an inferior-quality item which may not last very long. At worst you could buy fake brand name cosmetics, perfume or electrical items that have not been tested to accepted standards and could actually be dangerous. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As well as a cost to the consumer, the sale of counterfeit goods also harms legitimate businesses that work hard and pay out for licenses to be able to sell genuine designer articles. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We have a duty of care to consumers and businesses alike and it is important our work to deal with those who offer for sale counterfeit goods continues.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​