John Cooper, 66, of Rowan Close, Haverhill, who traded as John’s Menswear, sold fake designer goods that included the brands Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Gant, Tommy Hilfiger, Fred Perry and Lacoste.
At a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court in May 2025, Cooper was sentenced to 9 months in prison, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to complete 75 hours of unpaid work.
At today’s Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, John Cooper was ordered to pay £153,057.25 for the financial benefit made from the sale of the counterfeit clothing as well as a victim surcharge of £187. The Court heard that Cooper made £216,180.48 in total and will need to sell his house and personal possessions to pay back the sum ordered. Failure to pay will result in 2 years in prison.
An investigation was launched by Trading Standards following the seizure of 768 clothing items from a stall run by Cooper at Bury St Edmunds market in August 2023. The clothing included shirts, t-shirts, polo shirts, shorts, underwear and hats, with an estimated street value of £21,171.16. The equivalent retail value of the seized goods if they were genuine items is estimated at £61,589.81.
Further investigations found that Cooper was also advertising the fake goods from a Facebook Group.
Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, commented after the hearing:
“Legitimate businesses work hard to build brand awareness and have a right to be protected from those who steal their intellectual property rights.
“The sale of counterfeit goods not only harms genuine manufacturers and retailers, but often also means that the purchaser receives low quality goods that have not been subject to the same tests and standards as the official items.
“The Proceeds of Crime Act allows us to recoup a criminal’s benefit via confiscation orders, and we will pursue and recover assets of those involved in this type of offending, ensuring they cannot benefit from their ill-gotten gains.”
Anybody with information on individuals selling counterfeit goods can contact the Trading Standards Department in confidence by calling Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
