Sponsored by
Ex-Leeds Rhinos star admits eBay scam
An ex-Leeds Rhinos star has been warned he may face jail after admitting a £36,000 eBay scam selling counterfeit ink cartridges and computer games.
Heavily-built Gareth Raynor, 32, who was supported in court by club coach and former Britain supremo Brian Noble, stood as Judge Roger Thorn QC told him "all options were open" when he is sentenced next month.
* Click here to watch the latest edition of the YEP's rugby league programme The Sin Bin.
The winger, who previously played for Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC before moving to Celtic Crusaders earlier this year, ran an eBay company named 'Genuine Ink' which supposedly sold Epson cartridges to online punters.
* Click here for latest Leeds Rhinos news.
It is estimated that Raynor, who has won six caps for Great Britain and scored the winning try in the 2006 Tri-Nations victory against Australia in Sydney, sold around 3000 of the cartridges on the auction site and also flogged various counterfeit computer games - receiving 36,654.16.
* Click here for latest Castleford Tigers news.
Hull Crown Court heard that police found counterfeit copies of the Nintendo game 'Ice Age 2' plus material for labelling Pokemon games for the Game Boy console at his home he shares with partner Catriona Thomson, 27.
* Click here for latest Wakefield Trinity Wildcats news.
He was charged after undercover trading standards officers bought printer ink and found it to be a copy of genuine Epson products.
Raynor is no stranger to trouble after he narrowly avoided jail in July 2008 after admitting racially abusing doorman Sallah Jeng and attempting to gouge his eyes out during a stag party.
Preston Crown Court heard how he launched a flying rugby tackle at the bouncer when he was asked to leave a lapdancing club in Blackpool in December 2007.
He was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for 18 months and the judge said he should feel "ashamed" over the racially-aggravated assault.
Dressed in a black suit today/yesterday (WED), he announced pleas of guilty to 13 charges of counterfeiting and one of fraud between May 2007 and August 2008.
He appeared in the dock next to Thomson, who had faced the same charges but was formally found not guilty after the prosecution offered no evidence against her.
The stunning brunette, wearing a black and white patterned minidress, gave her boyfriend an affectionate kiss on the cheek before she was released from the dock.
Judge Thorn ordered Raynor, of Brough, East Yorks., to return to learn his fate in three weeks after the completion of a pre-sentence report.
He said: "All options remain open to me, I shall see you in three weeks' time."
The sportsman was given unconditional bail in the meantime. A date for a proceeds of crime hearing will be set at the sentencing hearing.
Matthew Drew, corporate security manager for Epson, said: "There are two victims in this sort of offence, the brands, and the consumers because they are not getting the genuine product.
"We were surprised when we found out what this defendant's background was, but we are sure he will be treated in exactly the same way as any other defendant.
"Counterfeiting is a complex crime and is often part of what is effectively and organised crime network."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -2 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
