Man passed fake £50 notes in shops all around the county on the same day

A Probation Order has been granted in the case of a man who pleaded guilty to charges of passing fake sterling £50 notes in shops in Ardara, Dunfanaghy and Dungloe all on the same day.
Bernie Ward (26) of Cornamart, Knockcroghery, County Roscommon admitted a total of 22 charges relating to incidents at Diver’s Centra, Ardara, Texaco Service Station, Drumaghy, Ardara, Moore’s Garage, Dunfanaghy and Sharkey’s, Gweedore Road, Dungloe on August 9, 2019.
The charges also included that he made gain or loss by deception, and had custody of counterfeit currency.
Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told Glenties District Court that the defendant passed off two different fake £50 notes in Diver’s Centra in Ardara.
He tried to pass off a third £50 note but that was refused.
Arising from this, the owner of the shop followed him, and he got the registration and contacted the gardaí.
The defendant also passed off a fake £50 note at the Texaco Service Station, Drumaghy, Ardara.
Sergeant Collins said the defendant passed a similar note in Moore’s Garage in Dunfanaghy
And when he was not successful with a second fake note, the shop became suspicious.
Later that day the defendant had two £50 stg notes passed in Sharkey’s of Gweedore Road, Dungloe.
When arrested, the defendant was co-operative with gardaí, the court heard. He had nine previous convictions for theft and served 18 months for a charge of robbery in 2017.
Defence Counsel Pat O’Sullivan said his client’s previous convictions were “not looking great”.
Mr O’Sullivan said the defendant had no excuses for what he had done. He accepted what he was doing and made a full and frank admission.
He noted that the defendant could have elected for a circuit court trial before a judge and jury, but he had saved the court and the State time and expense.
He suggested this would have been a difficult case to prove as the notes were in sterling.
Mr O’Sullivan said these matters were going back to 2019 and his client had not come to garda attention in the interim. He said Ward had been partially rehabilitated since coming out of jail.
He got married this year and his wife and mother were in court.
Mr O’Sullivan added that the defendant’s wife would not tolerate any criminality.
The defendant had the full compensation in court, but a family emergency had taken the money away. There was €100 in court and he intended to pay the €480 that was owed.
He asked the court to give the defendant time to come up with the money and to consider a Probation Report with a view to a Community Service Order.
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham said the court was concerned that these matters happened in 2019 and there was only €100 raised in compensation over a three-year period.
Mr O’Sullivan said he had told the defendant that he needed to pay the full amount but there was an emergency involving his mother-in-law.
Judge Cunningham said she was not impressed by the fact the defendant had served time and came out of prison, and a short time later he was engaged in activities of a similar nature.
She remanded Ward on continuing bail until February next for sentencing.