Trader sold fake designer clothes

Apr 1 2008 by Chloe Griffiths, Liverpool Daily Post

A MARKET trader who dealt in fake designer sports clothing and trainers has been jailed.

Stall-holder Waseem Cowker was caught with more than 1,800 items of fake clothing and 650 pairs of counterfeit shoes.

Over 10 months, Liverpool City Council trading standards department and Merseyside Police watched the father-of-three as he tried to shift hundreds of fake items from his stall at Broadway Market, Norris Green.

In three different raids, officers discovered fake sportswear littered among legitimate brands.

And despite being arrested and bailed twice, the 38-year-old continued his dodgy dealing.

Yesterday, Judge Bruce MacMillan jailed him for a year after hearing he already had two previous convictions for dealing in counterfeit goods.

The judge told Cowker: “This was really wholesale deception on your behalf and a really aggravating feature is that you committed these offences while on bail for the very same offence.

“This is a flagrant breach of the law.

“The time has come when you must be punished by imprisonment.”

Cowker, of Rudston Road, Childwall, initially denied the items were counterfeit, but at an earlier court hearing he admitted 10 offences of falsely applying or using a trademark to make a profit.

Anthony O’Donohoe, defending, told the court Cowker was a hard-working and religious man, who was embarrassed by his crimes.

A confiscation hearing is due to take place on May 30.