Fake Rolex dealer hit with 8-year bankruptcy restrictions order

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 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.

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.

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." . Source