Former accountant who sold fake designer watches escapes jail to care for elderly parents with Alzheimer's

York Crown Court heard that James Christopher Lum, 41, sold counterfeit Hugo Boss, Diesel, Marc Jacobs and Armani watches through a website called The Watch Cabin, which he set up in 2014.

Although the business was based in London, several North Yorkshire residents were among those who complained about the products' authenticity and North Yorkshire Trading Standards prosecuted managing director Lum.

North Yorkshire County Council officer Gary Frank made two test purchases in 2019, buying an Armani model for £169 and a Hugo Boss for £199. They were then sent to experts who confirmed that both were fake, with the retail value of the Hugo Boss being closer to £449.

In 2020, Lum was arrested and a total of 928 watches were seized from his home and warehouse. They had been imported from Hong Kong and China and sold without the authority of the trademark holders.

The court heard that the value of the genuine versions of the items sold at their true market rate was almost £400,000.

In mitigation, Lum's solicitor said that his client 'began with the best of intentions' after leaving his accountancy job to set up as a watch trader - but that his 'inexperience and ignorance caught up with him'. He later began to 'cut corners' and descended into illegality.

Messages recovered from 2017 showed that he had sought legal advice about his activities, yet faced a 'difficult choice' over the future of his company and opted to continue trading.

Lum was described as 'decent and respectable' and the court heard he was the main carer for both of his parents, who have Alzheimer's disease.

He would be unable to return to his accountancy career due to his conviction, but was seeking to retrain in another profession.

Judge Simon Hickey took the mitigating factors as well as Lum's early guilty plea into account and sentenced him to a 12-month community order and 150 hours of unpaid work despite the offence reaching the custody threshold - describing Lum's motivations as 'greed and inexperience'.

Lum will also face a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing later this year and a likely financial penalty.