A 60 year old man who illegally sold thousands of pounds worth of counterfeit and 'toxic' cigarettes from his suburban home because it 'gave him a buzz' has been spared immediate jail by a judge.

Geoffrey Townsley, of High View, Hempsted, Gloucester, was caught with 60,000 counterfeit cigarettes and 13 kilos of hand rolling tobacco when trading standards officers searched his home and his van, the city crown court was told.

Townsley pleaded guilty to 18 charges - a variety of trademark infringements against Richmond and Golden Virginia, breaches of tobacco regulations, the fraudulent evasion of duty as well as possessing and selling counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco in a case brought by Gloucestershire County Council's trading standards department.

The total tax revenue lost to the state as a result was £20,555.

Prosecutor Alan Fuller said: "Cigarette and tobacco products like these are attractive to those who cannot afford the prices in the shops.

"However these products were not only counterfeit they were also toxic. They had been manufactured without the necessary strict controls undertaken by the companies who produce the real branded items.

"The counterfeiter's only objective is profit and they don't much care for quality."

The court heard that trading standards officers were tipped off about Townsley's activities and in March and April 2018 the authority carried out surveillance on him and observed that he used three addresses.

A warrant was issued for his home address at High View and officers found a sports bag there containing 49 packets of counterfeit cigarettes and 68 pouches of hand rolling tobacco.

"He said he sold items on an ad hoc basis," said Mr Fuller.

"The officers also found a key to a van parked at an address in Granville Street that had two lots of additional security on it.

"When the van was unlocked and the secure storage area examined the officers found 2,804 packets of cigarettes and 190 packs of tobacco inside. "

Townsley claimed this belonged to the man who sold him the fake goods and he only used it to top up his own supplies.

"In total , the counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco had a street value of £13,574, but the duty evaded on the same products was in the region of £20,000."

The court was told that an examination of his phone proved that he was a significant trader in these types of goods.

Joe Maloney, defending said: "He has admitted all 18 charges and he admits he has been foolish by getting involved in these matters.

"He is the main carer for his elderly mother and he accepts his offending has crossed the custody threshold. She will have problems if he is sent to prison.

"Since his arrest, he has cooperated with all the relevant bodies. Apart from this incident Townsley is a law-abiding citizen."

The Judge, Recorder Malcolm Galloway, told Townsley that selling illegal tobacco products at a third of the normal retail price was simply illegal.

"You also by-passed paying the duty to the government as well," said the Recorder.

"When these tobacco products are illegally produced they are not subject to the normal safeguards that genuine manufactures have to adhere to in regards to toxins and tar.

"You accepted in interview that you had been doing this for 18 months and that you got a buzz from it. You also did it for the money."

The judge sentence Townsley to a prison sentence of 10 months, suspended for two years. He also ordered him to undertake 180 hours of unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge.

The judge warned Townsley that while he had been sentenced for the offences, it was not the end of the matter.

"There is an outstanding confiscation investigation still ongoing and dependant on its outcome you will likely be back at this court under the Proceeds of Crime Act."