Bar landlady fined thousands over fake vodka
The landlady of a bar in Sunderland has been fined thousands of pounds after buying “potentially dangerous” counterfeit vodka.
Most of the vodka was European stock with fake labelsLorraine Griffiths, who runs the Ttonic bar in the city centre, bought more than 450 litres of the spirit for £6,500 from a man she knew only as ‘Mr Allan’.
Most of the vodka – which was branded Smirnoff and Glen’s – was European stock with fake labels, while other bottles contained counterfeit vodka which “potentially dangerous” sediment.
It was uncovered by HMRC officers last June during a visit to the bar.
George Hazel-Owram, prosecuting, said 412.3 litres of legitimate Smirnoff had fake labels stuck over the top of European labels, incorrectly stating UK duty had been paid, while 39 litres branded Glen’s Vodka, which also had fake labels, was found to contain something completely different.
Owners of Glen’s Vodka, Loch Lomond Group, tested the contents and found they were “different to genuine vodka”.
Griffiths argued that she had been a victim of fraud, and disagreed that the price should have alerted here to there being something illegal about it.
She and her husband were fined a total of £5,000, with a £240 victim surcharge and £500 costs. They were also ordered to pay £4,775.87 in excise duty to HMRC.
Earlier this year The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) warned consumers about fake bottles of Glen’s Vodka being sold across the UK.
