Couple facing jail after selling counterfeit children's shoes on Ebay

Friday 2 December 2011

Couple facing jail after selling counterfeit children's shoes on Ebay

A couple who made an estimated £300,000 selling counterfeit children’s shoes over the internet are facing jail.

Police swooped on the home of Antoine Simhani and Fan Fanny Cheung last January and found 10,000 pairs of shoes with fake labels.

Antoine Simhani and Fan Fanny Cheung are
believed to have made £300,000 in online sales

Trademarks included Disney’s Cars and popular girls’ shoes from Lelli Kelly, which were stashed in plastic boxes in a garage and then sold on eBay for between £20 and £40.

Simhani, 46, and Cheung, 43, of Hook Rise South, Tolworth, admitted six counts of possessing counterfeit shoes on the morning of their trial at Kingston Crown Court on November 30.

Judge Georgina Kent said: “What was being alleged was that the defendants had been involved in selling counterfeit goods, Lelli Kelly children’s shoes or Disney’s Cars.

"Those of you who have been forced, like I have, to sit through cartoon programmes, may have been aware of [them].

"Until now it has not been accepted by the defendants.

"They have had time to consider their positions and they have now pleaded guilty."

Lelli Kelly shoes were sold for between £20 and £40

The pair are believed to have travelled to markets in China to find the counterfeit shoes and import them to the UK.

Judge Kent told the couple they would be sentenced after being assessed by the probation service: "I have to make it clear it is on an all options basis. That includes custody."

Another six counts of transferring their criminal proceeds between bank accounts and online trading account Paypal, totalling £376,189 were left to lie on file, although some of the transfers may relate to the same money.