SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR COMPANY DIRECTOR WHOSE CHEETHAM HILL FIRMS SOLD DANGEROUS GOODS

The director of two firms caught selling dangerous and counterfeit toys has been handed a suspended prison sentence. 

Qunfeng Wu, 41, of Mosedale Road, Manchester, appeared before Tameside Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 25 February, charged with Trade Mark offences and breaches of Toy Safety Regulations. 

Acting as the director of MW Manchester Ltd (trading as Wendy Fashion), and Pound Jewellery Ltd, the practices of Wu have been under investigation by Manchester City Council’s Trading Standards Teams since 2018. 

Regarding Pound Jewellery Ltd, an inspection carried out in March 2018 found that a range of items on sale at the premises were counterfeit, featuring brands such as Batman, Disney and Marvel. In addition, a number of toys on sale were found to be dangerously unsafe with easily accessible battery units, that if swallowed, could severely injure a child. 

Other items also posed a suffocation and choking hazard. 

Regarding MW Manchester Ltd, officers visited its premises in Derby Street on April 2, 2019. During this visit unsafe light-up balloons were discovered, with Wu told to immediately remove them due to the hazard they posed. 

A follow up visit on April 30 with Greater Manchester Police found that the items had not been removed as instructed. 

Lab tests found that these balloons were not compliant with safety regulations as they were not marked as unsafe for children under the age of 36 months, had no manufacture name, trademark or model/mark name present. There was also no required battery information, or a CE safety mark.

At a court hearing held on September 5, 2019, Pound Jewellery Ltd was found guilty in absence at Manchester Magistrates Court for two Toy Safety offences and four Trade Mark offences. 

It was fined £8,200, ordered to pay costs of £1,348 and pay a victim surcharge of £180. A forfeiture order was made in regard to the seized goods. 

Wu, in her role as director, failed to attend and a warrant back for bail was issued. She later surrendered to the warrant. Wu pleaded guilty to all the offences and was sentenced on all matters on Friday, February 25, 2022.

At this hearing Wu was sentenced in total to 20 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months for four trademark offences and four toy safety offences. She was also ordered to a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement for 15 days, ordered to pay costs of £3,133.97, and pay a victim surcharge of £115. Wu was also disqualified from acting as a director of a company for 5 years by the court.

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, said:

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“This case has taken a long time to come to a resolution, but it illustrates the Council’s commitment to doing the right thing. Selling dangerous goods is not just irresponsible, it poses a genuine risk to the public’s wellbeing. 

“I’m grateful for the tenacity of the Trading Standards Team in bringing this case to court, as well as the legal team for their efforts to secure a conviction.”