A fake health food rogue has been ordered to pay more than £10,000 for selling bogus protein bars at a gym in Bargoed.
Giles Havenhand, 49, made “wholly fictitious” health claims about his nutrition products supplied to a gym run by a former Mr Britain bodybuilder Justin Trollope.
Cardiff Crown Court heard the conman made a total of £294,399.15 from selling “grossly inferior” bars and flapjacks which offered little health benefits.
The Global Nutrition bars and flapjacks were seized by trading standards in 2016 following a raid of ex-Mr Britain Justin Trollope’s gym in Bargoed.
A court heard protein bars sold by Havenhand offered little health benefits – and labels showing amounts of protein were “grossly overstated”.
The raid followed a joint investigation by trading standards, the Food Standards Agency and Europol.
Mr Trollope, who won Mr Britain in 2008, said he’d been given the products as samples.
He expressed surprise his face was plastered over Havenhand’s website endorsing it – and said he had never given permission for the advert.
Mr Trollope said he had met Havenhand through bodybuilding competitions, but had never given him permission to use his name or picture after accepting the samples.
Prosecutor Kayleigh Simmons said: “All of the products had the branding of Global Nutrition and had numerous labelling irregularities.”
Labels indicating they contained 30g of protein were inaccurate, and failed to list any ingredients which could cause an allergic reaction.
Havenhand claimed the products were just samples, but admitted he’d never had them tested and had not labelled them correctly.
They included 12 counts including failing to comply with food safety regulations, misleading commercial practice, and carrying on a business with intent to defraud.
A proceeds of crime act hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard he now only had £10,552.76 available to him.
Judge Jeremy Jenkins ordered Havenhand, from Budby, Nottinghamshire, to pay the available amount within three months.
The court previously heard Global Nutrition went into liquidation in February 2017.