Pair pailed for fake cash Jubilee spree in Brid
Liam Cornish was jailed for eight months for spending couterfeit �20 notes in Bridlington.
TWO men have been jailed for funding their Queen’s Jubilee party around Bridlington town centre with counterfeit £20 notes.
Leeds-based decorators Liam Cornish, 36, and Gareth Kirkham, 23, travelled to Bridlington to holiday with £200 of forged notes.
Cornish paid upfront for his stay at the Malvern Guest House with a forged £20 note as soon as he dropped off his bags.
The pair then raised the flag around the resort’s pubs and fast-food joints leaving traders out of pocket.
Cornish and Kirkham had arranged for the June 3 holiday in advance and arrived with two other pals - losing track of the number of pubs they visited spending money.
Cornish, of Westray, Leeds, and Kirkham of Garden Village, Micklefield, appeared at Hull Crown Court for sentence on Monday February 4, after pleading guilty to one charge of possession of false bank notes.
Prosecuting Crown barrister Stephen Robinson said at around 2.30pm Cornish used a forged £20 to buy a pork sandwich and Kirkham passed off a fake £20 to buy a burger.
A barman refused a poor quality £20 at a pub and police were on the look out for them.
A shop-keeper had realised he had been fiddled and reported the men were on the loose. They were caught on CCTV.
When they turned their pockets out at Bridlington Police Station, Kirkham had six forged £20 notes left and Cornish had eight £20 notes.
Barrister Anthony Sugare for both men said although Cornish had previous convictions, including deception and theft, he should be treated the same as Kirkham who had no convictions.
He said they had been given the notes as payment for decorating work and it was a joint enterprise which they had made early admissions to. He urged the judge not to jail the pair as they were both in work and jobs were hard to find.
Judge Graham Robinson said he was aware the East Riding has had 29 reports of counterfeit £20 notes being used in shops and post offices since the start of this year.
He said: “The bedrock of economic confidence is the public confidence in their currency. I am alive to the fact that reports of counterfeit £20 notes flooding into the area strikes fear into the hearts of small traders.”
He said he knew of reports of forged notes in Hessle, Anlaby, Goole, Howden, Market Weighton, Pocklington, Willerby, Beverley, Bempton, Driffield, Garton-on-the-Wolds, and Flamborough.
“They do not concern you, but it shows it is an issue which is continuing. Both of you say you were victims of counterfeit currency.
“That is no excuse. If your house is burgled and the TV is stolen you don’t break-in to your neighbour’s house and steal their TV. Custody is inevitable.”
They were both jailed for eight months before being led away to cells below court and a waiting prison van.
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Friday 24 May 2013
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