Today in Court

Gregory Abbott - Court Reporter

Man's lock-up an 'Aladdin's cave' say police.


Yusef Choudhury, 36, travelled across North London to Willesden to sell home-made CD's of unlicensed music outside Willesden Green tube station. When police searched his van they discovered 412 copies of a home-produced CD called Eugene Ionesco's The Chairs - Volume 3. When a search warrant was executed at Choudhury's lock-up a treasure trove of goods was found for which Mr Choudhury was unable to produce receipts. Among the odder items in the lock-up were several boxes of pubic wigs, many sporting a Stars and Stripes design across which was stitched "Fuck the USA". Choudhury claimed that he was a supplier of such items to the adult movie industry in the USA.

Also found were 3700 empty half-litre mineral water bottles and cap sealers. Mr Donald Justice representing the Crown said that the problem of counterfeit mineral water in the capital was enormous. Some estimates suggest that 87% of bottled water sold in London is in fact tap water. Recent reports have linked the Albanian mafia with the scam. Choudhury said that he was looking after the bottles for a friend and had no idea that they might be used to misrepresent their contents.

Choudhury claimed that the CD was full of Jamaican music and that the purpose of the CD was to highlight the fact that Jamaican recording artists had, for the most part, been 'ripped off' by the local record producers. Many had received only token payments for their performances from whose sales the producers have ever since profited. Caroline Edwardes-Hall, the magistrate, applauded Choudhury's activism and suggested that he should retain all receipts for purchases made in future. She found him not guilty of counterfeiting charges and found that there was no case to answer in respect of the contents of his lock-up.