A 72-year-old counterfeit DVD seller has been handed a suspended sentence and ordered to pay more than £127,000 in costs. 

John Williams, of Pot Kiln Road, Great Cornard, received a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was fined £7,500 following a hearing at Ipswich Crown Court. 

Williams had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of the sale, supply and manufacture of counterfeit DVDs.

East Anglian Daily Times: Thousands of DVDs were seized from his home in Great CornardThousands of DVDs were seized from his home in Great Cornard (Image: Suffolk Trading Standards)

An investigation was launched by Suffolk Trading Standards after a report that fake DVDs were being sold online. 

The original complainant, Network Distributing Ltd of London, has since closed down, said head of Suffolk Trading Standards, Graham Crisp.

Test purchases were carried out by officers and the discs analysed, which confirmed them to be counterfeit.

East Anglian Daily Times: Test purchases were carried out by Suffolk Trading StandardsTest purchases were carried out by Suffolk Trading Standards (Image: Suffolk Trading Standards)

Suffolk Trading Standards carried out a search of his home in October 2021 and seized more than 40,000 copied DVDS, as well as computers, disc burners, a colour photocopier with print outs of DVD box paper insert sleeves and address label stickers.

Computer analysis revealed William sold the fake DVDs when attending fairs, predominantly in London.

He had made up to £1,500 on some items.

Williams was also ordered by Ipswich Crown Court to pay a Proceeds of Crime Order of £77,182, as the criminal benefit he made from the sales of counterfeit discs, plus pay prosecution costs of £42,870.

Mr Crisp said: "Williams, and those that supply counterfeit discs, contributed to Network’s demise and have now actually limited the amount of cult TV and film available to purchase because these titles now remain in the archives and may never become available to the public."

East Anglian Daily Times: Andrew Reid, of Suffolk County CouncilAndrew Reid, of Suffolk County Council (Image: Suffolk County Council)

Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for public health, public protection and communities, added: "There is no such thing as a victimless crime and the greedy and selfish activities of this man contributed to the end of a company legitimately making cult films and TV shows available to the public."