Plan for 30 new homes in village
AMUM and daughter avoided jail after admitting making and selling counterfeit goods from their Anglesey home.
Susan Elizabeth Griffiths, 48, and her daughter Leah Jade Griffiths, 24, both of Penrhiw, Rhostrehwfa near Llangefni, admitted selling children’s clothing, handmade goods and accessories at a previous hearing.
These items bore the registered trademarks of 14 well-known companies and brands including Coco Chanel, Ugg Boots, Adidas and Premier League football clubs including Everton, Celtic and Manchester United FC.
Their online shop called Leah’s Boutique had received more than £35,000 between April 2016 and December 2018 and they had maintained careful records of items made and sold. Magistrates at Caernarfon heard they even kept details of prices charged by similar business.
Both were handed eight-week prison terms which were suspended for 12 months.
Bench chairman Elfed ap Gomer said: “These are serious offences. There was a significant number of items produced over a prolonged period of time. A previous warning was ignored.
“There was also the risk of danger, especially babies, as the products hadn’t been tested.”
In addition both women must attend 15 days of rehabilitation activity and each pay costs of £768.
Julia Longworth, prosecuting on behalf of Anglesey Council, said the pair had been warned by Trading Standards officials in 2013 for carrying out a similar business.
The women’s offending came to light in July 2018 when Trading Standards officials in Swansea tipped off their colleagues in Anglesey.
Ms Longworth said they offered goods for sale from a public page on Facebook.
A private group had more than 4,000 members and attempts by Trading Standards officials to gain entry to the group had been repeatedly declined.
The online shop was monitored for several weeks and later a warrant was obtained to search their home. Items of clothing and handmade goods were found and seized along with a mobile phone and a laptop.
The items seized included dummy clips and baby blankets which had not been tested for safety.
Tudur Owen, defending, said both women had admitted the offences and had co-operated with the investigation.
He argued they ran a cottage industry and had incurred costs for materials and distribution and the sum mentioned did not represent total profit.
PLANS for 30 new homes have been unveiled in a Gwynedd village.
Earmarked for land off Llwyn Bleddyn Road in Rachub, near Bethesda, housing association Adra’s application has now been submitted to Gwynedd Council.
The plans involve 14 two-bedroom, 11 threebedroom, four twobedroom bungalows and one four-bedroom bungalow.
But despite already managing 53 homes in Rachub, Adra’s planning statement notes a need for more one and twobedroom homes due to several tenants suffering due to the “bedroom tax” and wish to move to smaller properties.
Now having been submitted to Gwynedd Council’s planning department, a decision is expected over the coming months after the statutory consultation period has ended.