A jeweler from Craigavon was fined £9,000 today at Craigavon Crown Court for selling counterfeit designer watches. The court also ordered the destruction of the fake goods.
Rodney Simmons, 51, of Laurelvale Road, Portadown, is the director of Jans Jewellers Limited, which trades as Faith Jewellers. He pleaded guilty to six charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994. These charges involved selling, displaying for sale, and possessing counterfeit watches.
The case began after the Trading Standards Service (TSS) received a complaint about items being sold at Faith Jewellers in Rushmere Shopping Centre, Craigavon. Officers from TSS visited the store and seized 36 watches. These counterfeit watches were displayed alongside genuine products and sold at prices between £249 and £399.
Brand representatives later examined the seized items and confirmed they were counterfeit. The total retail value of the fake watches was about £10,000.
A spokesperson from TSS said, “This case should warn anyone thinking of profiting from counterfeit goods. Mr. Simmons bought cheap fake watches and sold them at real retail prices. Customers have the right to expect genuine quality when buying from stores.”
The spokesperson added, “Counterfeit trading damages the local economy by cheating buyers, harming honest retailers, and threatening jobs. We take this issue seriously and will act against any trader selling fake goods.”
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