An Ugg-ly business
Gran pleads guilty to five charges after cop raid
A gran sold boots bearing a top designer’s label for just £9 a pair at her Wishaw clothing boutique.
The trendy Ugg footwear typically costs between £100 and £200, but some customers are happy to pay upwards of £300 a pair.
But a sheriff reckoned no- one shopping at OMG in Main Street would be fooled into thinking they’d got a real bargain.
His comments came as Wendy Armstrong admitted selling fake versions of designer- branded products in November last year.
Armstrong, 45, of Kirk Road, Wishaw, pleaded guilty to five charges under trade marks legislation when she appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
These related to counterfeit Calvin Klein clothing, Chanel clothing and accessories, Hermes perfume and accessories, Ugg boots and Michael Kors accessories.
Her daughter Chantelle, 25, who runs the shop with her, had her not guilty pleas to the charges accepted.
Neil Thomson, prosecuting, said police got a search warrant after a tipoff. “Numerous” items were seized when they raided the shop.
Mr Thomson told the court : “These were examined by those familiar with the genuine article and were found to be counterfeit.”
Based on the prices Armstrong was selling them at, the total value of the goods seized was £765.
Had they been genuine and sold at the going rate the value would have been well into four figures.
Armstrong nodded her head as Sheriff Robert Weir calculated that the 12 pairs of Ugg boots she had on display would have been sold for £9 a pair.
She told police officers: “I’m not going to sit here and lie to you. I know I shouldn’t have had some of the things, especially the Chanel scarves.”
Bobby Reid, Armstrong’s lawyer, insisted that, despite the labels, this hadn’t been an attempt to hoodwink customers into thinking they were getting designer gear at rock bottom prices.
But he added: “She has learned her lesson and knows she can’t sell goods that could be construed in any way to be counterfeit.”
Sheriff Weir said it appeared likely that customers unwilling to “spend a fortune” on designer goods were happy to get the label they craved at a fraction of the price.
He told Armstrong: “It’s highly unlikely that anyone went in there believing they were getting the genuine article.
“Nonetheless, selling goods of this kind is an offence and rightly so because of the impact on those operating properly in the market.”
Armstrong was fined £800, cut from £1,000 because of her guilty plea.
Numerous items were seized when police raided the shop.”