Arrested Over Fake Rugby Shirts From Los!

Buff-horns · August 4, 2005

Fake Wales shirts seized from house

Aug 4 2005

Rebeccameredith,South Wales Echo

A man employed a Thai tailor to copy Welsh rugby shirts to sell back home in Wales.

Sixty replica rugby jerseys were found at the home of 57-year-old John Patrick O'Leary, along with several pairs of counterfeit Diesel jeans.

Trading standards officers became suspicious after they discovered items were being sent to three addresses for O'Leary.

They later found out that O'Leary had taken a genuine rugby shirt to Thailand and asked a tailor to make copies, paying £26 for each jersey.

But he claimed he paid customs tax and duty and so believed his actions were legal.

O'Leary, of Caerleon Grove, Castle Park, Merthyr Tydfil, who had holidayed in Thailand six times in two years and had claimed the goods were gifts, was estimated to have spent just over £8,000.

Paperwork was found at his home relating to Thailand but his potential profit could not be calculated.

He pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing goods bearing a sign which could be mistaken for a trademark and two offences of offering to supply goods to which a false trademark description had been applied.

In his defence Jeremy Jenkins told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court: 'We are dealing with a man who is extremely industrious and hardworking.

'He did pay appropriate levels of tax in importing these goods from the Far East into the country but he now realises it's the false description applied during that which causes the offence to be committed.

'It has been a saluatory lesson to him'.

He was sentenced to an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay £992 costs.

A spokesman for trading standards said: 'This case sends a clear message to those involved in the illicit trade of counterfeit goods that they could face a custodial sentence for their actions.

'The Trading Standards Service is committed to the council's vision of a thriving economy in Merthyr Tydfil and we will continue to clampdown on those individuals who are presenting unfair competition to genuine retailers.'

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news

lampard10 · August 5, 2005

He was sentenced to an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay £992 costs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too leniant....................he should have got a tougher sentance for wearing a Wales rugby shirt.

cdnvic · August 5, 2005

He was sentenced to an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay £992 costs.

Too leniant....................he should have got a tougher sentance for wearing a Wales rugby shirt.

Evidence of mental deficiency in wearing said shirt perhaps got him leniancy?

cv

Braccobaldo · August 5, 2005

quote.."we are dealing with a man who is extremely industrious and hardworking.."

cdnvic · August 5, 2005

quote.."we are dealing with a man who is extremely industrious and hardworking.."

I thought he was Welsh?

cv

Tornado · August 5, 2005

"paying £26 for each jersey."

He sounds as if he was doomed from the start. You can buy copy jerseys (apparantly ), for under 10 pound each.

He must of believed the tailor, when he said "hello my friend, I give you best price"

dr_Pat_Pong · August 5, 2005

"Very lucky for me and very lucky for you. You lucky first customer today"

lampard10 · August 5, 2005

"paying £26 for each jersey."
He sounds as if he was doomed from the start. You can buy copy jerseys (apparantly ), for under 10 pound each.

He must of believed the tailor, when he said "hello my friend, I give you best price"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A chelsea supporter from Surin/Pattaya got a set of shirts made for his Thai school football team, exact replicas of Chelsea shirts, but with his teams names on the back for around 2 pounds each. Forget the 26 pounds each, 10 pounds each is a rip off.

Tornado · August 5, 2005

"paying £26 for each jersey."
He sounds as if he was doomed from the start. You can buy copy jerseys (apparantly ), for under 10 pound each.

He must of believed the tailor, when he said "hello my friend, I give you best price"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A chelsea supporter from Surin/Pattaya got a set of shirts made for his Thai school football team, exact replicas of Chelsea shirts, but with his teams names on the back for around 2 pounds each. Forget the 26 pounds each, 10 pounds each is a rip off.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes that is the price for a football shirt me old mucka, but different material in Rugby Jerseys

Also it should be Chelski

Dragonman · August 5, 2005

He was sentenced to an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay £992 costs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too leniant....................he should have got a tougher sentance for wearing a Wales rugby shirt.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Evidence of mental deficiency in wearing said shirt perhaps got him leniancy?

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well at least there's a demand for Welsh shirts unlike some other 6 Nations teams I could mention

26 quid for a shirt, must be joking. g

COBBER · August 5, 2005

"paying £26 for each jersey."
He sounds as if he was doomed from the start. You can buy copy jerseys (apparantly ), for under 10 pound each.

He must of believed the tailor, when he said "hello my friend, I give you best price"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A chelsea supporter from Surin/Pattaya got a set of shirts made for his Thai school football team, exact replicas of Chelsea shirts, but with his teams names on the back for around 2 pounds each. Forget the 26 pounds each, 10 pounds each is a rip off.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The quality of the cheaper shirts/jerseys is not the same as the originals.

You can by football shirts at a market for 150 baht but to get the same quality as you would get in the UK they are around 800 baht.

With Rugby shirts the ones at the markets are nothing like the originals.

If a taylor is making them the same as the originals ,the biggest part of the cost is making up the blocks for the emblems. So for a small run the cost per shirt could easily come to 1500 baht and then when you add the postage you come to a cost of 26 pounds. Obviously if you are making thousands of them the cost per shirt would come down considerably.

Edited August 5, 2005 by COBBER

The_Moog · August 5, 2005

Is it essential that the shirts are exactly the same as the originals?

After all...

The people wearing them aren't physically the same as the originals (i.e the players!)

Eric Davis · August 5, 2005

Wales replica shirts in Pattaya with Coolmax materials cost Baht550 including all crests and logo's.

Dragonman · August 5, 2005

"paying £26 for each jersey."
He sounds as if he was doomed from the start. You can buy copy jerseys (apparantly ), for under 10 pound each.

He must of believed the tailor, when he said "hello my friend, I give you best price"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A chelsea supporter from Surin/Pattaya got a set of shirts made for his Thai school football team, exact replicas of Chelsea shirts, but with his teams names on the back for around 2 pounds each. Forget the 26 pounds each, 10 pounds each is a rip off.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The quality of the cheaper shirts/jerseys is not the same as the originals.

You can by football shirts at a market for 150 baht but to get the same quality as you would get in the UK they are around 800 baht.

With Rugby shirts the ones at the markets are nothing like the originals.

If a taylor is making them the same as the originals ,the biggest part of the cost is making up the blocks for the emblems. So for a small run the cost per shirt could easily come to 1500 baht and then when you add the postage you come to a cost of 26 pounds. Obviously if you are making thousands of them the cost per shirt would come down considerably.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can get shirts in Pattaya that only an expert would tell the difference. Have had people with originals back home try. 5 quid for football and 4 quid for rugby. Not that I sell them of course, just for friends Even got one recently with the new logo on a week before it was announced.

odowdchr · August 5, 2005

I can get shirts in Pattaya that only an expert would tell the difference. Have had people with originals back home try. 5 quid for football and 4 quid for rugby. Not that I sell them of course, just for friends Even got one recently with the new logo on a week before it was announced.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true. A friend bought the new ManU top in England on the first day it was out (2002), flew back home to Pattaya for a fortnight, returned with a suitcase full of copies.

Most of us picked the copy as being better quality than the original.

He had to pay £5 a shirt because of the funny 'double direction' material, took the fella all of a day to track it down......

Begs the question how much do ManU pay for a run of 100,000?

lampard10 · August 5, 2005

I can get shirts in Pattaya that only an expert would tell the difference. Have had people with originals back home try. 5 quid for football and 4 quid for rugby. Not that I sell them of course, just for friends Even got one recently with the new logo on a week before it was announced.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true. A friend bought the new ManU top in England on the first day it was out (2002), flew back home to Pattaya for a fortnight, returned with a suitcase full of copies.

Most of us picked the copy as being better quality than the original.

He had to pay £5 a shirt because of the funny 'double direction' material, took the fella all of a day to track it down......

Begs the question how much do ManU pay for a run of 100,000?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

probably about 1 pound a shirt

Dragonman · August 5, 2005

I can get shirts in Pattaya that only an expert would tell the difference. Have had people with originals back home try. 5 quid for football and 4 quid for rugby. Not that I sell them of course, just for friends Even got one recently with the new logo on a week before it was announced.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true. A friend bought the new ManU top in England on the first day it was out (2002), flew back home to Pattaya for a fortnight, returned with a suitcase full of copies.

Most of us picked the copy as being better quality than the original.

He had to pay £5 a shirt because of the funny 'double direction' material, took the fella all of a day to track it down......

Begs the question how much do ManU pay for a run of 100,000?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

probably about 1 pound a shirt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Anyone know where most teams get their shirts made? This guy I get them from says his are not made in Thailand but come from China. I'm convinced that lots are just nicked from the factories where the original shirts are made.

Or sold at cost as Lampard10 says 1quid a go.

astral · August 5, 2005

800 baht is still a lot less then 26 quid.

Are you sure this guy was not Irish?

Eric Davis · August 5, 2005

Materials used by Nike and Adidas are made in Thailand and shipped to sub-contract factories worldwide.Original shirts are also made here but by a sweatshop that has had it's difficulties sometime back but they are now on the safe list.

Edited August 5, 2005 by Eric Davis

mrbojangles · August 5, 2005

Sixty replica rugby jerseys were found at the home of 57-year-old John Patrick O'Learyhttp://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news

800 baht is still a lot less then 26 quid.
Are you sure this guy was not Irish?

That's what i was thinking Astral. Not many Welsh people I know called O'Leary Aren't they all called Daffidd Jones or something

Mr BoJ

britmaveric · August 5, 2005

He was sentenced to an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay £992 costs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too leniant....................he should have got a tougher sentance for wearing a Wales rugby shirt.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Evidence of mental deficiency in wearing said shirt perhaps got him leniancy?

cv

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well at least there's a demand for Welsh shirts unlike some other 6 Nations teams I could mention

26 quid for a shirt, must be joking. g

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I concur - high demand now that Welsh are a force to be reckoned with. However that being said anyone pay 26quid in thailand for a rugby shirt is a muppet.

Dragonman - pm me like to know where to look - could use some new welsh gear!!

Rinrada · August 5, 2005

Should have gone for some Welsh Passports while he was at it.

wolf5370 · August 5, 2005

Have a friend in the UK - he's Thai but lived in the UK since he was 5 y/o. He used to bring a crate of clothes over every month - shipped. It contained various copies of T-shirts, sweatshits, leggings, sports jackets etc as well as handbags and wallets. He paid about £600 per crate and sold the lot each time for £4,000 plus.

He would get a call from the shipping company that it had arrived, drive down and get it. He would make some calls and it would be sold in principle by the time he got home with the crate. Market sellers used to buy it from him - and they would out bid eachother for it.

He stopped doing it about 2 years ago after customs found the fakes in a random search. They sent him a letter that they had impounded it and he would have to either come and claim it - and be subject to proving their authenticity and be prosecute if he counln't - or to not pick it up whereon it would be destroyed. He let them keep it.

Still a nice little earner for a couple of years!

lampard10 · August 5, 2005

Should have gone for some Welsh Passports while he was at it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

get ten of them for a quid

NedKelly · August 6, 2005

Who won the 6 nations this year ?

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