Landlady fined for selling fakes

A FORMER landlady is today several thousand pounds out of pocket after she admitted selling fake designer goods at an Ipswich pub.

A FORMER landlady is today several thousand pounds out of pocket after she admitted selling fake designer goods at an Ipswich pub.

Kim O'Hagan was told to pay a �6,000 confiscation order and another �1,000 in fines after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to selling and possessing items likely to be mistaken for trademarks.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how O'Hagan had brought counterfeit goods back from Thailand on a number of occasions before selling them at The Dales pub throughout 2006.

But the 50-year-old's illegal operation was snared in December of that year after undercover officers from Trading Standards made a series of test purchases.

During interview after her arrest, O'Hagan, who currently lives and works at The Seckford Tap pub in Woodbridge, claimed she had been unaware she had committed an offence.

Proof of this, she said, was the open manner in which she had sold the fake items in the Dales Road pub.

Judge David Goodin said he understood the stress the lengthy investigation had caused O'Hagan.

“I am utterly sure that the difficulties you have faced since your arrest has made the last two-and-a-half years a misery for you,” he said.

“But you were doing wrong. You must understand that trademarks are protected for a reason.

“I express my surprise you were not aware of that.”

O'Hagan was fined �500 for two counts of selling goods with a false trademark and another �500 for possessing goods with a false trademark.