Cuberdon salesman Carl Demeestere has been sentenced to a suspended one-year prison sentence and a seven-year job ban. A judge in Ghent also ordered him to repay 108,000 euros. For years the candy seller was involved in the so-called "War of the Noses", a conflict between two cuberdon candy sellers in the historic centre of Ghent that even led to brawls.
Cuberdons are Belgian cone-shaped candies, a popular local delicacy in Ghent. In Dutch they also known as "noses" due to their shape.
Cuberdon vendor Carl Demeestere is now banned from selling the candies for seven years. The judge also meted out a one-year suspended sentence for possible fraud in the bankruptcy of his business. Due to a lingering conflict with another cuberdon seller on the Ghent Groentenmarkt, Demeestere earlier lost his pitch. The “War of the Noses” regularly made national and even international news in recent years.
Three years ago, Demeestere filed for bankruptcy. The curator discovered huge, unexplained debts. Invoices and other evidence were missing. Demeestere is now the subject of a job ban and has been ordered to pay a 4,000 euro fine, half of which is deferred.
The court is also claiming back 108,000 euros. In the meanwhile, the seller started a cuberdon stall in the seaside resort of Koksijde, where he will now also have to stop selling his “noses”.