Fine for jailed Del BoyBy Leyton and Leytonstone GuardianWALTHAM Forest Trading Standards has won a record payout from a conman who became Britain's biggest counterfeiter. Derrick 'Del Boy' Davies made millions from a highly sophisticated operation mass producing fake designer clothes, perfume, watches, and champagne. Police and trading standards officers raided his Leyton warehouse in December 1998 and found 100,000 labels and packaging for 52 different designer brands. Officers seized goods worth £500,000. Davies, 39, is already serving a four year jail term for the counterfeiting business. But at a hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, he was ordered by a judge to hand over £91,000 in costs to trading standards the biggest order of its kind. Davies must also stump up £354,530 proceeds from his life of crime. If he does not pay, he faces an extra four years in prison. During the hearing, Davies had claimed the money was all gone on gambling, drinking, and his family's plush lifestyle. He arranged a hasty sham divorce from his wife Susan Cook before the trial, putting his two homes in her name, in a bid to try and hang on to his cash. But Judge Inigo Bing ordered him to pay up. He said: "The defendant said he had frittered it (his millions) away. He described it as a champagne lifestyle and I can say it must have been Premier Cru." Trading standards officer Alan Sharpe, who led the investigation, said after the hearing: "This is the most that anyone has ever lost in a confiscation order for counterfeiting. "This is the biggest haul that has ever come before the British courts. It was a very slick counterfeiting operation designed to dupe the public. "He told the court he lived for the day and spent for the day well now he's lost it. He gave us a real run for our money but he didn't get away with it." He added that his divorce was a "tissue of lies." Davies fled to Spain after his first court appearance, but he was captured by the National Crime Squad eight months later. He made £1million profit in the first 18 months of trading, for which he received a four year jail term in January this year. John Anderson, director general of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, said: "Derrick Davies is typical of many organised criminals who trade illegally in counterfeit goods as a means of funding a lavish lifestyle. "He thought he was above the law absconding to Spain. However, he now faces four years in prison. The message is clear, counterfeiting crime does not pay."Trading standards officers load some of the counterfeit goods into their van |(c)s=10WALTHAM Forest Trading Standards has won a record payout from a conman who became Britain's biggest counterfeiter.o Derrick 'Del Boy' Davies made millions from a highly sophisticated operation mass producing fake designer clothes, perfume, watches and champagne. Police and trading standards officers raided his Leyton warehouse in December 1998 and found 100,000 labels and packaging for 52 different designer brands. Officers seized goods worth £500,000. Davies, 39, is already serving a four-year jail term for the counterfeiting business. But at a hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, he was ordered to hand over £91,000 in costs to trading standards the biggest order of its kind. Davies must also stump up £354,530 proceeds from his life of crime. If he does not pay, he faces an extra four years in prison. During the hearing, Davies had claimed the money had all gone on gambling, drinking, and his family's plush lifestyle. He arranged a hasty sham divorce from his wife Susan Cook before the trial, putting his two homes in her name, in a bid to try and hang on to his cash. But Judge Inigo Bing ordered him to pay up. He said: "The defendant said he had frittered it (his millions) away. He described it as a champagne lifestyle and I can say it must have been Premier Cru." Trading standards officer Alan Sharpe, who led the investigation, said after the hearing: "This is the most that anyone has ever lost in a confiscation order for counterfeiting. "This is the biggest haul that has ever come before the British courts. It was a very slick counterfeiting operation designed to dupe the public. "He told the court he lived for the day and spent for the day well now he's lost it. He gave us a real run for our money but he didn't get away with it." He added that his divorce was a "tissue of lies." Davies fled to Spain after his first court appearance, but he was captured by the National Crime Squad eight months later. He made £1million profit in the first 18 months of trading, for which he received a four year jail term in January this year. John Anderson, director general of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, said: "Derrick Davies is typical of many organised criminals who trade illegally in counterfeit goods as a means of funding a lavish lifestyle. "He thought he was above the law absconding to Spain. However, he now faces four years in prison. The message is clear, counterfeiting crime does not pay." 15:25 Thursday 12th December 2002
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