Llandudno,Rhos on Sea,North Wales - Rhos couple jailed for dealing in fake goods

Published date: 29 October 2015 | 

Published by: Staff Reporter
Read more articles by Staff Reporter

A COUPLE who received £305,000 from the distribution of fake goods have been jailed.

 

Stephen and Lisa Clegg who ran “In da House” in Colwyn Avenue, Rhos on Sea, were jailed for fraudulent trading after running an illegal operation from their shop.

 

Stephen Clegg was sentenced to 388 days imprisonment for two charges of fraudulent trading.

 

Lisa Clegg was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment for two charges of fraudulent trading.

 

Conwy Trading Standards were alerted to the couple’s activities after being contacted by DHL Express; DHL stopped 20 packages on the way to Cleggs in November 2013, 17 contained counterfeit mobile phones and the other three contained counterfeit Louis Vuitton and Chanel goods, all of which were accompanied by fraudulent paperwork purporting that the goods were legitimate.

 

Mrs Clegg had received parcels - containing counterfeit item - from Hong Kong.

These were relabelled and distributed on to other addresses throughout Europe.

 

The prosecution said the operation had been going on since January 2008 until Conwy Trading Standards officers executed a search warrant in December 2013.

 

The prosecution advised the court that the couple had benefitted from more than £305,000 although the defence argued the pair had not received that amount in profit and they did not live the “high life”.

 

Judge P L Harris-Jenkins, sitting at Caernarfon Crown Court, accepting the Basis of Plea put forward by Stephen Clegg’s barrister, stated that Mrs Clegg was the driving force and Mr Clegg had a supporting role but both benefited financially from the enterprise.

 

The Judge added it was a ‘highly planned and organised business’ which took place over many years and was doing a ‘massive commercial trade’ which was ‘clearly international’ and made comment that they had received numerous warnings, which they both ignored.

 

Passing the sentence, Judge Harris-Jenkins stated that that due to the scale of the operation and amount of time the business had been going, immediate custody was unavoidable.

 

Cllr Philip Evans, Conwy’s Cabinet Member for Regulation, commented: “As well as being of dubious quality and safety, fake goods fund organised crime and can have a devastating impact on legitimate business, causing job losses and closures of local shops.”