A Cardiff window cleaner who sold counterfeit designer goods on his Facebook account has been ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work, pay £200 in costs and has had £500 in cash confiscated by city magistrates.
Kevin Coles, 47, from Lon Yr Efail in Caerau, who sold counterfeit brands including Superdry, Timberland, Converse, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Nike, Adidas, Ugg and Stone Island, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Magistrates Court on Monday June 5th.
Following the plea, magistrates made a Community Order for 12 months, with 120 hours of unpaid work, a 10-day rehabilitation order and an order to pay £200 in costs with a victim surcharge of £85. A Forfeiture Order was also made of all the fake items as well as £500 in cash.
The guilty plea followed a warrant that was carried out at his home by the Shared Regulatory Service on June 28th,2016, where £1,000 in cash and 22 items of counterfeit goods were found.
Mr Coles told officers he knew the clothes were ‘replica'. He said he made this clear when selling the items on his Facebook account. Mr Coles also claimed that £500 of the money seized came from selling the illegal items.
Mr Coles' solicitor told the court that the defendant had fully co-operated with the Trading Standard Officers during the investigation.
A Spokesman for the Shared Regulatory Service between Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils, said: "Social media is part of everyone's everyday life, but this sentence should send a clear message that these platforms are not a free for all to sell illegal goods. Those that are selling illegal items online are committing an offence and we will continue to gather intelligence and evidence against those carrying out this criminal activity and will put them in front of the courts."