'Greedy' businessman in hand sanitiser con jailed

A BUSINESSMAN who supplied 'dangerous' hand sanitiser during the Covid-19 pandemic has begun a 15-month jail sentence.

- CARL JACKSON News Reporter

'Greedy' Jeewan Sagu 'took advantage' of the global emergency in 2020 and made thousands of pounds by selling a 'useless' product, a judge told Birmingham Crown Court.

The 43-year-old and his wife Rajika Sagu, 39, both of Wake Green Road, Moseley, as well as a business named Desktop IT, were the directors of Digbeth-based wholesalers Big Living Ltd.

A Birmingham City Council Trading Standards investigation established Big Living put hundreds of containers of its Chemist Plus branded hand sanitiser on the market, which had significantly less alcohol than the 80% advertised.

In 2022 both Sagus and the two companies were subsequently convicted of placing an unsafe product on the market, causing another trader to engage in a commercial practice which was a misleading action, misleading advertising and a fourth offence related to failing to adopt measures under the General Product Safety Regulations.

They challenged the guilty verdicts of Birmingham Magistrates' Court but a judge and two magistrates rejected their appeal and upheld the convictions.