A COUPLE peddling a range of fake goods across Facebook and Swindon’s pubs have been spared jail because of the small-scale of the operation.

Darren Roberts, 47, and Michaela Roberts, 44, both of Redhouse Way, had their home raided on the morning of June 14 last year by officers from Trading Standards and Wiltshire Police.

From the shed and garage they owned, officers found more than 900 illicit items, made up of fake designer jewellery, footwear, clothing, sportswear, watches and handbags.

The estimated wholesale value of the stock was £5,000, sourced from suppliers in the Midlands, although the court heard they were making around £80 to £100 per week from the venture.

Judge Peter Blair QC said the operation was not sophisticated and spared the pair jail with sentences suspended for two years.

Darren received a 12-month prison sentence for each of the 17 counts of unauthorised use of a trademark to be served concurrently. Michaela received an eight-month concurrent sentence for each count.

Sentencing them, Judge Blair, said: “Darren Roberts, I regard you as the main driver of this business, but Michaela Roberts, I have no doubt that you added your skills to this relatively low-scale operation. You had a social network page which invited people to purchase goods and I have seen a number of photographs that have come off Michaela Roberts’ phone which advertised the sorts of materials you found a substantial demand for.

“I accept the defence’s proposition that the people purchasing these goods would have been under no illusions they were replicas rather than the real thing for the sums of money that they were spending.

“The buyers would not have been able to buy these products in a month of Sundays from legitimate stores and therefore this would not have been reducing the profitability of those who had these trademarks.

“Had you been operating a more cynical and large-range operation then you, today, would have been going straight to prison.

“Because this lasted 12 months you have had your entire working stock seized, which I believe you had planted most of your profits back into, meaning you lost something like £5,000.

“You have got family commitments and you’re not work-shy. The public doesn’t need to spend more money in keeping you in custody, when you should be setting about turning your lives around in a law-abiding way.”

Darren was told he would have received an 18-month sentence if he had been found guilty by a jury.

He must also carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, attend 10 sessions of Education, Training and Employment (ETE) with the probation service and pay a £100 victim surcharge.

Michaela, who has three children aged 19, 14 and 12, must be supervised by the probation service for six months and pay a £100 victim surcharge.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, which will arrange for the recovery of any proceeds made from the Roberts’ crimes, has been listed for March 6 next year.

In mitigation for Darren Roberts, George Threlfall said his client had begun the business to provide for his family and make up for his unreliable income in the building trade.

For Michaela Roberts, James Burke said she had only become involved because her husband could neither read nor write and needed help. She was concerned how deep he had gotten into the trade and wanted to help dig him out of it, he said.