A WEYMOUTH man made £40,000 by ripping off popular brands and selling counterfeit t-shirts to unsuspecting customers during a rogue trade operation that lasted around 11 months.

Weymouth Magistrates Court heard how James Michael Goodwin, aged 32, sold fake goods on websites eBay and Amazon, which he marketed as genuine stock from popular franchises including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Disney brands such as Marvel and Star Wars.

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The court heard how the rogue trader, of Somerset Road, admitted six counts of selling goods under the seller name 'jjckids' with signs and packaging bearing that identical and likely to be mistaken for registered trademark. Goodwin's online trade operation took place between February 12, 2020 to November 29, 2020.

Dorset Council Trading Standards prosecutor, Richard Herringshaw said: "At one point the defendant was selling 550 products online. Some, but not all of these goods, were counterfeit.

"He started selling plastic eggs as children's products, but it developed into the counterfeit operation where he made an estimated £40,000 revenue.

"During our investigation, the goods were examined by trademark officials - which revealed some of the products the defendant was selling online were of inferior quality.

"One such product was a Captain America marked t-shirt, which he bought and sold on himself."

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The court heard how other counterfeit goods Goodwin was either selling or sold online included a hooded jumper marked Quidditch, a t-shirt marked Dracarys Game of Thrones, a t-shirt marked Star Wars, and a green t-shirt and orange t-shirt both marked Disney.

Mitigating, Aileen Tring said: "The defendant is married with two children.

"He was trying to make extra money and he said he didn't think about the trademark issue.

"He stopped the online company in late November last year.

"He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity." Chairman of the bench Colin Webster asked for a pre-sentence report and the case was adjourned until December 9.

A spokesman from Dorset Council Trading Standards, said: "We are pleased with the early guilty plea in this case.

"It was clear that Mr Goodwin had been printing his own t-shirts and hoodies and not selling genuine stock. This would have enabled him to undercut legitimate retailers."

Anyone wishing to report such matters to Trading Standards should contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 or visit: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer. This is the first point of contact for all consumers on Trading Standards issues.