Ref. 72601-89 Atma KularTOWN trader Atma Kular has been told he could face jail after a jury found him guilty of trading in fake mobile phone covers.

Kular sold covers from his stalls outside the Market Place on Wharf Green and at the Great Western Designer Outlet Village.

But a jury heard the covers bearing the badges of football clubs like Manchester United and Disney characters like Tigger were fake.

Kular, 32, claimed he had made every effort to ensure they were genuine but the jury did not believe him and convicted him of 11 offences under trademark laws.

Earlier the jury heard how the fascias were seized by trading standards officers from Swindon council.

They also heard evidence from Disney who said the images of Winnie the Pooh favourites Tigger and Piglet were so poor they would not have passed quality control.

Phone covers were also sent to Manchester United and other Premiership clubs who confirmed they were counterfeit.

Russell Sharland, a council trading standards officers, told Swindon Crown Court he had spoken to Kular in February 2001 after spotting fake-looking covers.

He said he had told him that trading standards were aware counterfeits were being sold in the town and gave him a notice about trademark and copyright infringement which was being circulated to traders.

A year later, in March 2002, officers raided the stalls and found 31 different types of counterfeit cover.

Kular told trading standards he had bought the covers from a London business, which assured him they were above board.

After passing the guilty verdict the jury heard Kular had previous convictions for similar matters from 1996 and 1997.

Recorder Ian Glen QC told the court that the maximum sentence for the offences was ten years in prison.

He adjourned the case so the probation service could compile pre-sentence reports and released Kular on conditional bail.

Tina Clarke