Can you spot the fake

Fake Rolex dealer hit with 8-year bankruptcy restrictions order

Former owner of Ludgate Watches, convicted of selling counterfeit watches from Rolex and other brands in 2015, will have his financial affairs severely curtailed.

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Ludgate Watches in Brighton was shut down in 2015 after its owner Jamie Thorpe was found guilty of selling counterfeit luxury watches.

Mr Thorpe was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for 2 years, for trade mark offences and, later, a £28,000 confiscation order following a Proceeds of Crime investigation. He was also made bankrupt for failing to pay the correct taxes.

A search of Mr Thorpe’s property by West Sussex Trading Standards in 2015 seized a range of goods, including watches, which were described as being worth at £100,000 in total. However, the watches, when examined by the original manufacturers later, were all confirmed to be counterfeit.

Filing for bankruptcy is not normally a hugely punitive process, and restrictions are typically lifted after one year.

In the case of Mr Thorpe, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accepted a ruling that extended his bankruptcy restrictions for 8 years.

Among the rules that will affect him is a restriction on borrowing more than £500 without disclosing his bankrupt status and he cannot act as a company director without the court’s permission.

Liesl Cook, Official Receiver for the Insolvency Service, said: “Eight years of extended bankruptcy restrictions is a significant result. It serves as a clear warning to others attempting to deceive customers, whether online or in person, that, when you are caught, we will seriously curtail your activities.”

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3 Comments

  1. Unfortunately Singapore Government failed badly to protect consumers with little education and allow unscrupulous lawyers and accountants to cheat clients money at International Plaza.

  2. Pathetic sentence whole Google and Amazon et al evade billions in taxes with the consent of government

  3. Were his watches really counterfeit, or simply modified to some extent with the consequent cry of ‘counterfeit’ by the manufacturers? I have in mind the recent ruling in USA that declared watches that had been customised to be declared fakes.

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