South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 14/06/2013

On Monday 17 June a judge at Bristol Crown Court ordered Richard Roosbey, of Albany Way, North Common, to pay back £30,195 under a confiscation order as part of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He was also ordered to pay back £3,500 to South Gloucestershire Council in prosecution costs.

Mr Roosbey was originally sentenced for selling and possessing fake Zumba fitness clothing and Abercrombie and Fitch garments as well as fake Hollister, Ugg and Ray-Ban products. In December 2012, he pleaded guilty to eight charges under the Trade Marks Act when he appeared before Northavon Magistrates’ Court. The case was then passed to Bristol Crown Court for sentencing in February when Rooseby was given a nine month jail term suspended for two years and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

The prosecution was brought by South Gloucestershire Council Trading Standards who carried out an investigation following complaints about his illegal trading activities on internet auction site eBay. Since early 2009 Rooseby had sold a variety of suspected counterfeit goods to customers around the world including Australia, America, Canada and across Europe.

His home address and two other premises were raided during May last year by Trading Standards officers and police who seized a quantity of suspected counterfeit stock. They took other evidence including an order book and a computer, and forensic analysis showed that Rooseby was also selling branded products locally to friends and family.

Neil Derrick, Senior Fair Trade Officer for South Gloucestershire Council’s Trading Standards team, said: “This case has been effective in removing the financial benefit Mr Rooseby derived from his criminal actions and, including prosecution costs, his total financial burden stands at £33,695. Mr Rooseby has learnt the hard way that crime does not pay.”

Cllr Claire Young, Chair of South Gloucestershire Council’s Communities Committee, added: “Investigations like this protect consumers as well as legitimate businesses. This case should serve to warn others that counterfeiting is illegal and wrong. We’re all feeling the pinch in difficult times, but people have to make money legitimately. Otherwise they could face a criminal prosecution and have their assets confiscated.”

Anyone wishing to report sales of counterfeit items can contact Trading Standards in complete confidence by calling 08454 04 05 06.