'World's biggest bootlegger' jailed
The “world’s biggest bootlegger”, who pocketed up to £15m (€22.5m) ripping off some of showbusiness’s top names, was jailed for three and a half years today.
During a massive scam that lasted at least 11 years, Mark Purseglove used thousands of illicit recordings made by sound engineers and crooked concertgoers to build a global counterfeit CD empire.
Oasis, the Beatles, Eminem, David Bowie, Madonna, Prince, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson and the Rolling Stones, were among hundreds of artists he targeted.
Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Mick Hucknall of Simply Red, Jason Kay of Jamiroquai, and Des’ree, had been lined up to give evidence against him if he had not admitted his guilt.
London’s Blackfriars Crown Court heard the 33-year-old sold his illicit discs at music festivals, shops and online for up to £130 (€194) a time with the help of a worldwide network of business contacts.
His life of crime funded a luxury existence of designer clothes, fast cars, smart homes and expensive holidays.
Underpinning his empire was a business acumen second to none and an unrivalled arrogance.
His contempt for the law was all too apparent in his choice of record company labels concocted for his “dodgy discs” – Criminal Records, Wanted Man, Fugitive, Masquerade, Beautiful Losers, Naughty but Nice, Swinging Pig and even Not Guilty.
He remained emotionless as Judge Timothy Pontius told him it was plain his “large-scale criminal enterprise” had “reaped very considerable financial rewards from the manufacture, importation and sale of illicit CDs.
“It seems clear beyond any doubt that this enterprise is by far the largest and therefore the most serious of its particular kind to come before the courts.
“The gravity of your involvement lies first of all in its overall scale.
“Very large numbers of illicit CDs were produced and sold over the years with significant potential loss, not only to recording companies but also to performers and composers who make a considerable part of their living from the percentage paid to them upon the sale of authorised recordings.”
