A "lone wolf" behind an internet business selling fake Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors products has been spared jail.
Bradley Lockey had been investigated by Suffolk Trading Standards for more than four years since 2017.
The 32-year-old, previously of Cleveland Road, Lowestoft, but now of Clockhouse Way, Braintree, admitted six charges of possessing goods with a false trademark for sale when he appeared at Ipswich Magistrates' Court on June 23, where he returned on Tuesday, July 20 to be sentenced.
These goods included a fake Chanel purse and four handbags, four fake Louis Vuitton clutch bags, a belt, hat and scarf, two pairs of fake Celine sunglasses and a fake Mulberry handbag and three belts, as well as 20 pairs of fake Michael Kors earrings and five bags, and 12 fake MAC lipsticks.
At the earlier hearing, the court heard the company had a turnover of about £400,000 over four years, although Lockey disputes this.
They heard officers attended a storage unit at Pinbush Road, Lowestoft, in March 2019, where they phoned Lockey and asked him to attend to show them inside.
Lockey, previously of Cleveland Road, Lowestoft, but now of Clockhouse Way, Braintree, told officers he was in Fuerteventura, despite phone evidence later showing he was in Lowestoft, with the storage unit broken into later that night.
While it could not be proven Lockey was behind the break-in, he told probation officers he had attended the unit that night, with the court hearing his unit was the only one targeted.
Declan Gallagher, mitigating, denied claims Lockey had attempted to "give authorities the slip" by moving house and changing phone numbers, saying he was homeless and "slid" into the business after suffering a slipped disc, which prevented him from returning to his previous job in demolition.
Lockey, who had been described as the "lone wolf" behind the business, returned to the court this week where magistrates considered an all-options pre-sentence report prepared ahead of the hearing.
They sentenced Lockey to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, as well as up to 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
He must also pay £6,000 in court costs and a victim surcharge of £128.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here