West Midlands shopkeeper jailed for selling fake goods
A sports shop owner who cheated customers by selling fake versions of designer brands such as Prada and Henri Lloyd, was today behind bars.
Trading standards officers seized 349 garments from Nazakat Hussain's Sportsbox stores, one in Cape Hill, Smethwick, and the other in High Street, West Bromwich.
The total retail value of the items if they had been genuine, was £30,000. At Wolverhampton Crown Court, Nazakat Hussain was jailed for a year after admitting 23 trade mark offences.
His employee, Sajid Hussain, 29, of Hospital Street, Walsall, who played a smaller role in the operation, was given five months' community service after he admitted 21 trademark offences.
Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting, told the court the garments, which also included Nike and Lacoste, were kept in a secret room in the West Bromwich shop.
There was a loose block in one of the walls that meant clothing could be passed from the secret room to the shop.
This hole was covered by a wardrobe on the shop side.
Trading Standards officers began to investigate after receiving complaints from disgruntled customers. The pair were on bail after being investigated for similar trademark offences in London. They were jailed for these in 2009. They initially denied the latest accusations but eventually pleaded guilty.
Miss Blondelle Thompson, defending Nazakat, 38, also of Hospital Street, asked Recorder Ben Nicholls to suspend any sentence in light of the fact her client had already received a two-year sentence for the London offences, which were committed at around the same time.
But Recorder Nicholls said: "This was a sophisticated and professional operation which is made worse by the fact both of you were on bail for a similar operation being carried out in the London area."
Neither defendant was told to pay costs.
