Sussex man sentenced for selling counterfeits

Chichester store owner prosecuted after selling counterfeit clothing

A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 weeks in custody and suspended for 12 months for selling counterfeit clothing and accessories at a Chichester store, following a seizure by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards.

Hosein Vafaie, of Blenheim Place, Brighton, was prosecuted after selling the fake products, which bore well-known brands such as Cath Kidston and Obey.

Mr Vafaie was also handed an 18-week curfew to be monitored by an electronic tag.

Over 450 items were confiscated by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards officers at Gifts Express, Chichester, between February and March 2014 after Mr Vafaie was suspected to be in breach of Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The seized items were sent for examination and were all confirmed as counterfeit.

David Barling, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents Services with responsibility for Trading Standards, said: “The sale of counterfeit products is harmful to local traders, particularly in the current economic climate.

“When purchasing counterfeit products, residents are likely to be unaware of the origin of such items, particularly if they are not subjected to the stringent quality controls you would expect from a genuine product.

“This is another positive outcome for consumers in West Sussex and, of course, our local businesses so I would like to thank our Trading Standards team for another excellent job.”

After pleading guilty in January to six charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994, The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Companies Act 2006, Mr Vafaie was sentenced earlier this week at Worthing Magistrates Court.

Mr Vafaie was also ordered to pay a contribution of £1,500 towards the legal costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Anyone who is concerned about the sale of counterfeit goods or a possible scam is asked to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service for advice on 03454 04 05 06.

You can also report incidents direct to West Sussex Trading Standards online at www.westsussex.gov.uk/tsreport