Gainsborough: Couple who sold counterfeit CDs on EBAY have prison sentence hanging over them

Susan Alderman and her partner Christopher Talbot imported the fake CDs, described as of high quality, from China and then marketed them through Alderman’s son’s eBay account.

Ruth Bala, prosecuting, said the pair attracted the attention of trading standards officers and in February 2013 when officers made test purchases of Lionel Richie’s CD ‘Tuskegee’ and The Killers’ CD ‘Battle Born’ which turned out to be counterfeit.

Six months later trading standards officers raided Alderman’s home and recovered 433 counterfeit music CDs.

A further 10 counterfeit items were found when Talbot’s home was searched.

Miss Bala said: “This was possession of counterfeit goods in the course of business.”

The prosecutor said that when the pair were interviewed both of them admitted that Talbot bought the items for Alderman to sell on eBay.

She added: “Talbot sourced items from a supplier in China and arranged for their importation.”

The couple used a fictitious name of David Thompson to order the goods which were then delivered under that name to Alderman’s address.

Inquiries revealed that customers paid more than £21,500 into the eBay account between In the 12 months up to March 2013 which was all subsequently transferred into Alderman’s bank account,

Susan Alderman, 57, of Morton Terrace, Gainsborough, and Christopher Talbot ,47, of Portland Street, Gainsborough, each pleaded guilty to six offences of the unauthorised use of a trademark on dates in February and August 2013.

They were each given a six month jail sentence suspended for two years and 180 hours of unpaid work.

David Eager, defending, described the couple as of ‘impeccable’ good character.

“The goods they were supplying were of merchandisable quality. The same quality,almost, as the genuine article.”

He said Alderman has since lost her job with the Citizens Advice Bureau and was likely to face a huge financial penalty as a result of a confiscation of assets hearing which is pending.