Brighton shop landed with £9,000 bill for stocking fake wine

A shop that lost its licence to sell drink has failed to persuade Brighton magistrates to overturn the decision.

Allsorts, in North Street, Brighton, was also ordered to pay £9,000 towards Brighton and Hove City Council’s legal costs.

Hani and Sally Abadi, who run Allsorts, appealed to Brighton Magistrates’ Court after a council licensing panel revoked their licence to sell alcohol in September.

They lost their 24-hour drinks licence after a trading standards officer found 31 bottles of fake Jacob’s Creek wine on sale.

Having already been warned about lax paperwork – the law requires them to be able to account for their purchases – their licence was revoked.

Mr Abadi, of Ash Close, Hove, said that the fake Jacob’s Creek had come from a supplier called Always 4U but, not for the first time, he could not show the supporting paperwork.

Always 4U confirmed that they had supplied some of the wine.

Yesterday (Thursday 23 February) magistrates accepted that Mr and Mrs Abadi had not set out to sell counterfeit goods.

But they had not upheld the licensing objectives either which are designed to prevent crime and protect public safety.

Councillor Lizzie Deane, chairman of the council’s licensing committee, said: “We are pleased that the decision of our licensing panel has been upheld.

“Licensees have a responsibility to uphold the licensing objectives – namely preventing crime and disorder and protecting public safety and children from harm.

“Trading in counterfeit alcohol has potential risks to public health because of the chemicals used and we will take appropriate action to suspend or revoke licences whenever necessary.”