5 Yorkshire Pirates In Court

Police have recovered more than 1,000 pirate DVDs after searching two cars following observations at a car boot sale in Yorkshire.

Officers made test purchases on two earlier Sundays from a stall at the Cross Green car boot sale in Leeds and on February 22 last year searched two vehicles connected with it.

They found 291 counterfeit DVDs in one and 774 in the other, Richard Wright, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

Steven Appleby, 33 of Intake Crescent, Barnsley, was jailed for nine months after he admitted four charges of selling goods with an unauthorised trade mark.

His wife, Kerry Joanne Appleby, 32, who admitted aiding and abetting him was given a community punishment order for 120 hours.

Stuart Paul Hodson, 27, of Raley Street, Barnsley, who admitted one charge of selling a DVD with an unauthorised trade mark was given a 12 months community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay £200 costs.

Dean Phillips, 20, of Priory Place, Barnsley, who admitted two charges of aiding and abetting the sale of goods was given 100 hours community punishment and told to pay £250 costs and Neil Craig, 32, of Priory Place, Barnsley, who admitted three charges of aiding and abetting was given a 120 hour community punishment order with £250 costs to pay.

Sentencing them, Judge Ian Dobkin said the serious aspect of the case was not misleading the public, who knew exactly what they were buying, the losers were the industry itself which produced genuine DVDs and relied on the sales for the future of the industry.

Mr Wright told the court the police observations showed Steven Appleby was the person responsible for the stall concerned. The DVDS were sold for £5 each or three for £10.

Craig accepted being paid £50 on five Sundays for helping him, Hodson was seen selling a copy of The Last Samurai on one occasion and accepted being paid to help that day, while Phillips had helped to carry bags for his sister Kerry Joanne Appleby on one day.

Wayne Jackson for Steven Appleby said he had not produced the DVDs but saw selling them as a way of making extra money.

Story source: yorkshiretoday.co.uk.