Fake vodka lands Wandsworth shopkeeper with £1k fine (From Wimbledon Guardian)

Fake vodka lands Wandsworth shopkeeper with £1k fine

11:59am Monday 12th November 2007

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Trading standards officers have hit the owner of a Wandsworth off-license with a £1,000 fine after he was caught selling fake vodka.

Saravanapavananthasivam Parthipan, who runs Veeno Wines in East Hill, was also ordered to pay £1,300 in court costs after being prosecuted under consumer protection laws.

A member of the public alerted trading standards to Mr Parthipan after they purchased a bottle of Kirov vodka at his store in January. The shopper called in trading standards officers because the vodka "tasted funny".

When officers visited Mr Parthipan's shop they found another dozen bottles of counterfeit Kirov.

During his trial at South Western magistrates court, Mr Parthipan claimed it was his business partner who bought two cases of the vodka from a cash and carry in Croydon and he was convinced they were the genuine product.

However, the court heard how a trading standards officer visited the same cash and carry and found nothing other than genuine Kirov vodka.

Mr Parthipan was found guilty of the offence and all of the fake vodka was ordered to be forfeited.

Chief trading standards officer Les Eames said his team responded to the complaint immediately as, in recent years, a number of bottles of fake vodka have been in circulation, one of which led to the death of a woman in Scotland in 2003.

He added: "We did have the contents of these bottles analysed in the laboratory but fortunately there was nothing untoward found. It was just very poor standard vodka."

The council's environment and leisure spokesman, Councillor Malcolm Grimston, said: "If you are a licensee and you are offered a deal that looks too good to be true - then that should set the alarm bells ringing.

"If this bottle of fake vodka had been the same as the ones on sale in Scotland a few years ago, then this shopkeeper could have been facing a manslaughter charge and a very long jail sentence.

"It is not worth risking your liberty and your whole livelihood just to save a few pounds."

If you are concerned about counterfeit goods being sold in your area call trading standards on 020 8871 7720 or email tradingstandards@wandsworth.gov.uk.

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