In a prosecution brought by Trading Standards, Benjamin Griffiths pleaded guilty to possession of hundreds of pouches of counterfeit tobacco.
When his flat in Penzance was searched, officers found £25,000 worth of tobacco with false trademarks.
The 37-year-old, now of the Lanuthnoe Estate, St Erth, was before Truro Crown Court on Friday for sentencing.
In his summing up, Judge Simon Carr said it was clear Griffiths was a heavy smoker, with the habit costing more than 50 per cent of his income at one stage.
He subsequently became involved with people who said they could get him tobacco cheaper.
“Initially you bought it yourself until you realised you could make money by selling it on to others.
“You had £25,000 worth of tobacco in your flat when searched, which didn’t comply with trademark descriptions.
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“Some may suggest this is a victimless crime; it isn’t. It’s not because of lost money, it’s because there’s no way of knowing what’s in the cigarettes produced by counterfeit.
“They are made to look exactly the same, but those prepared to cheat with trademarks are prepared to cheat with what’s in them,” said Judge Carr, adding that such actions could cause serious injury to others.
The judge said it was only Griffiths’ early guilty plea that meant he could suspend a sentence that would otherwise have been immediate time in prison.
As such he sentenced Griffiths to three months in prison, suspended for two years. The defendant must also complete 26 sessions of an accredited programme and ten days of rehabilitation activities.
Griffiths was ordered to pay a statutory surcharge of £154, with the judge noting: “You are sadly in no circumstances to pay costs, which are substantial for local authorities who bring these prosecutions.”
The tobacco and associated items will be destroyed.
