A Glenrothes shopkeeper who sold fake bottles of the UK’s number one wine has been hit with a £7,500 fine.
Mohammed Arif, of Loyne Court, was caught selling more than 60 counterfeit bottles of Blossom Hill wine on two separate occasions at his Costcutter store.
The 45-year-old is a director of Costcutter Southfield Hill Ltd which was also charged with the same offences.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Thursday, Arif was fined £1,000 while Costcutter Southfield Hill Ltd, also of Loyne Court, Glenrothes, was fined £6,500.
Sheriff Alastair Thornton was shown company accounts for the year 2012/13 which outlined how the company had made a significant loss in the last financial year.
Arif had denied selling the counterfeit wine at his store in the Glenwood Centre, Glenrothes, but was found guilty after trial.
The shopkeeper has been convicted of, on March 9, without the consent of the proprietor, Diageo North America, offering for sale 46 bottles of wine which bore a sign identical to, or likely to be mistaken for, the Blossom Hill words and design.
He was also charged with, on March 16, having a further 18 bottles of the fake Blossom Hill wine on sale at his store.
Maker Diageo claims Blossom Hill is the UK’s number one wine brand. The wine is available in more than 40 countries and comes in a variety of types, from classic red and white to ros and reduced alcohol.
At a previous hearing in November Arif, who is married and has four children, was warned he faced a “substantial fine” and sentence was delayed in order for him to produce business accounts for 2012/13.
On Thursday, solicitor Martin McGuire, acting on behalf of the company, said the Glenrothes shop was “not a business that’s prospering”.
He stated that the turnover of the business was bolstered by a high volume of Paypoint transactions, which can be used for the payment of benefits or utilities.
In passing sentence, Sheriff Alastair Thornton told Arif: “The selling of counterfeit products is a serious matter and I include the company as well as you as an individual. I am satisfied that fines of significance are justified.
“I have called for, and been shown, accounts of the company’s overall performance.
“Accounts show that the company made a fairly significant financial loss in the last financial year. It is also currently making a modest profit at present.
“I am satisfied that fines of £6,500 for the company and £1,000 for you would properly reflect the court’s disapproval of your conduct and take into account your ability to pay.”