Eastleigh Trader Sentenced for Selling Fakes

Surelock is proud to have assisted Hampshire Council Trading Standards on this operation on behalf of our clients.

AN Eastleigh trader has been handed a 12 month suspended sentence for selling fake designer clothes.  Arvinder Singh Kang, 26, was caught selling knock-off Lacoste polo shirts for £10 from his market stall by undercover Hampshire Trading Standards officers.

The officers seized just over 400 items of clothing, including T-shirts and tracksuits, from his stall and a Mercedes lorry parked nearby at Eastleigh market.  Tests confirmed 369 of the items were counterfeit goods which, if genuine, would have be worth around £9,000.

Kang, from, Coventry pleaded guilty to eight charges relating to sale and possession of counterfeit clothing contrary to Trade Marks Act 1994.  He told officers he had paid £1,000 cash for the clothes from another trader called Harry who was going out of business.  Kang said the trader told him they were from a connection at discount clothing retailer TK Maxx.

Southampton Crown Court heard Kang was a small-time trader who had been running his own market business for four years.  Recorder William Andreae-Jones QC handed him a 12 month sentence suspended for 12 months.  He was also ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work for, what the recorder said, was a “fraud not only upon the commercial community but upon customers who bought these things thinking they were genuine.”

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber said: “This is an excellent example of the work of Trading Standards officers in protecting the interests of consumers and those reputable businesses that operate within the law across Hampshire. The sentence sends out a strong message that the sale of counterfeit goods will not be tolerated in Hampshire and Trading Standards officers will take robust action to address any such case.”