Pair jailed for fake signatures

Apr 4 2008 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

AN AUTOGRAPH dealer sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for selling fake autographs spoke to The Chronicle minutes before being sent to jail.

Graeme Walker, 45, the owner of Sporting Icons Ltd in Watergate Row, Chester, sold photographs and shirts featuring forged signatures.

He was found guilty of 51 charges, including dishonestly trading by selling faked signatures of Sir Alex Ferguson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard, Jonny Wilkinson and others.

His supplier, Faisal Madani, received nine months imprisonment for supplying many of the forgeries.

Walker told The Chronicle he had been conned by Madani, who, the court proved, had told a lie in claiming he was the brother of a former Manchester United director.

Walker, of Mountain View Close, Connah’s Quay, said: “The only thing I have done wrong is I don’t think I have done enough due diligence. I was buying from a man who said his brother was a director at Manchester United. I don’t know what I am supposed to do.”

Walker, who knew he was facing prison, said his wife Tracey and four children were “devastated”.

In a message to customers, he said he’d reimburse anyone who could prove what they had bought from him was fake.

He said: “When I come out I will give every single penny back. The guarantee is for life and, although the company will go into receivership, I will personally guarantee they get their money back.”

Walker was cleared of deliberately misleading customers by advertising a Worthington Cup Final Liverpool FC match shirt as match- worn when it wasn’t.

He was also cleared of selling a photograph with a fake signature of Michael Owen.

Madani, 43, of Bramhall, Stockport, was convicted of 18 charges, including supplying many of the items to Walker. He was cleared of selling a photograph with a fake signature of Steven Gerrard and of selling 58 England caps bearing a false trademark.

Sporting Icons Ltd was fined £24,500, after being found guilty of 49 charges, under the Trade Descriptions and Trade Marks Acts.