Shopkeeper took newborn baby to court for hearing
SHE WAS THERE FOR SELLING COUNTERFEIT CIGARETTES
A HULL shopkeeper took her newborn baby to court as she faced charges for having counterfeit cigarettes in her shop.
Anita Zielinska turned up to court with her four-day-old son in plenty of time for her scheduled appearance before magistrates.
But owing to a lack of a booked Polish interpreter, the mum and baby were left waiting in the court corridors for more than two hours before her case was finally handled.
Zielinska, 41, of Dover Crescent, Hull, admitted possessing goods with a false trade mark and a separate count regarding a tobacco product not carrying a combined health warning.
Mr Turner, prosecuting, detailed the raid on The Local EU Shop, in Beverley Road, Hull, which led to the discovery of the counterfeit cigarettes.
On December 16, 2020, police and a Trading Standards tobacco officer attended the shop after getting a prior search warrant.
Cigarettes and tobacco were found at the rear of the shop premises.
An empty shelf behind the shop counter was found to be a false shelf hiding further illicit cigarettes and tobacco, and there was another stash hidden in a cavity beneath floor tiles.
In total, 4,760 cigarettes were found in the shop and 60 pouches of tobacco. Of these, 1,440 cigarettes and ten pouches of tobacco were counterfeit.
In January, Zielinska was interviewed under caution and confirmed it was her business and she had run the shop since October 3, 2020.
She said she was selling the cigarettes for between £3 and £4 a packet and the rolled up tobacco for £5.
She also said it was the first and only occasion she had purchased tobacco for the shop and that she could not remember how much she had paid for the goods.
When asked by officers why the cigarettes and tobacco had been hidden, Zielinska said that the shop was her first business and she did not know whether she needed a licence to sell them.
Addressing the court herself, Anita Zielinska said: “I would like to say I feel guilty.
“It was my first and last situation of this court.
“I’m putting my hands up, taking responsibility for what happened.”
After a brief adjournment, presiding chair Mr Bergin gave thanks to the Polish interpreter appearing via video link and addressing Zielinska, said: “The prevalence of these type of offences has become quite noticeable for this area in which you are starting and I am sure that the local authority will continue to police this type of offence.”
Anita Zielinska was ordered to pay total costs of £1,020. This included a fine of £230 for the counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco and a fine of £150 for the lack of health warning charge.
There was also a victim surcharge of £34 and court costs of £606.
The shopkeeper, keen to put the case behind her, volunteered to pay the full amount within 28 days.
“We wish you and your son every good wishes for the future and hope, in a good way, we never see you again,” added presiding chair Mr Bergin.
The newborn baby slept peacefully through most of the proceedings.