Brierfield man in £20,000 fake goods haul

11:44pm Sunday 11th May 2008

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A MAN caught with a haul of fake designer goods - estimated to be worth more than £20,000 - has escaped a jail sentence.

Trading standards officials and police swooped on the home of Marcus Parkes, in Chapel House Road, Brierfield, and found a hoard of counterfeit clothing and trainers, Burnley Magistrates Court was told.

Parkes, 39, told consumer watchdogs that he had bought the haul, which included counterfeit Dolce and Gabbana, Lacoste and Henri Lloyd merchandise, from a warehouse in the Cheetham Hill district of Manchester.

And before the authorities moved in, he had made around £1,000 selling off the bogus goods to family and friends, the court heard.

Parkes admitted six charges of possessing counterfeit goods, under the Trade Marks Act, with intent to sell them.

The offences relate to five fake Fred Perry jumpers and tracksuits, 14 tracksuits and two polo shirts with pirated Lacoste markings and four jumpers and three pairs of shorts with bogus Henri Lloyd branding.

Ninety-three pairs of Nike trainers and 18 tracksuits, along with five counterfeit Timberland jackets and six Dolce and Gabbana imitation tracksuits, were also included in the charges.

Magistrates chairman Mr Wilcox Wood said legitimate manafacturers and retailers lost out through offending of this kind.

He told Parkes that magistrates had carefully considered imposing an immediate custodial sentence.

Instead the magistrates gave Parkes a six-month jail term, suspended for two years, with £503 court costs.

He was also ordered to complete 150 hours of community service and placed under a curfew from 7pm until 7am for the next six months.

Nick McNamara, prosecuting on behalf of Lancashire County Council, said trading standards and police had seized 93 box of trainers and 77 articles of clothing during the raid on Parkes home.

Mark Earl, defending, said his client had visited a warehouse in Cheetham Hill, where the counterfeit clothing and trainers were being sold off.

Parkes realised that the items were very cheap and had "become excited" at the prices.

Mr Earl said he had purchased more and more, in order to sell on to family and friends, and estimates that he had made around £1,000 before he was caught.

Parkes wished to express his remorse about the comission of the offences and knew he had done wrong, he added.