Teenager tried to sell fake DVDs

A teenager caught trying to sell fake DVDs of hit Walt Disney and Paramount films in Brownhills has been hit with a six-month suspended jail term.

Wayne Pace was found in possession of counterfeit movies such as Cloverfield and Beowulf when police and trading standards officers swooped on Brownhills market.

After being stopped, officers then searched the 19-year-old's home address in Greenfield Road, Great Barr. In total, they found 362 copies of counterfeit films which also included National Treasure, Underdog and Strange Wilderness.

At Walsall Magistrates Court yesterday, Pace admitted 20 offences of letting for hire goods bearing a false trademark on February 16 last year. Mr Dominic Patouchas, prosecuting, said West Midlands Police and Walsall Council trading standards officers were involved in the joint operation in Pier Street.

They made checks on who was trading throughout the morning and stopped Pace as he tried to run off down the street with a box of DVDs. When they carried out checks at his home, they discovered hundreds more counterfeit copies.

Mr Kully Delay, defending, said Pace was only a small-part player and had been asked to help out on a stall to earn some extra money. He said it was the first time he had been trying to sell items and had done so in desperation to pay off some debts.

Presiding magistrate Patricia Hoskisson sentenced Pace to six months' imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered him to do 300 hours' unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £300 costs.

She said a custodial sentence had to be passed but agreed to it being suspended. She said: "You played an active part in the storage and supply of those items.

"It was a very, very serious offence, and you have no idea how lucky you are."

Earlier this year, Deonne Price, 31, of Great Barr, was ordered to complete 240 hours of community service and pay £1,000 costs after she was discovered with 497 counterfeit DVD films, 73 handbags, 11 pairs of sunglasses and other fashion items.

Trading standards officers are continuing to battle against traders selling counterfeit goods throughout Walsall. Last month, more than £250,000 worth of fake trainers, sunglasses and clothes were seized from stalls at Bescot market.

Four Transit-size vanloads of counterfeit goods were retrieved during a crackdown by investigators.

The haul included around 1,000 pairs of Nike and Lacoste trainers, 100 pairs of designer sunglasses, sweatshirts, hoodies, jeans and T-shirts from top brands Adidas, Timberland and G-Star clothing.

Officers swooped on five stalls and two vehicles at the site, on Walsall Football Club's car park in Bescot Crescent.

The seizure came two months after 64 handgun-style pellet guns, selling for £1, were taken from stalls at the market.