Enniskillen Courthouse
A TEENAGER from Irvinestown who found counterfeit notes on the street told police officers he was planning to using the fake note to buy goods.
18-year-old Stephen McMulkin entered a late guilty plea when he appeared before Fermanagh Court charged with being in possession of counterfeit currency with intent to use.
The court heard that despite his admission to officers on the day he was found with the fake note, he was intending on contesting the offence but changed his plea at the last minute.
A prosecutor explained to the court that on July 8 last year at around 2.15pm, police officers on duty in Irvinestown spotted McMulkin hanging around the area.
A search of the teen uncovered an Ulster Bank £10 note which had smudged ink prints and the marks were out of line.
The officers confirmed that it was an ‘obvious’ counterfeit note and confiscated it from him.
During a police interview McMulkin said he knew it was fake and that he was planning on using it in a store.
The defendant told officers he found the fake note lying on a footpath in a plastic bag with another fake note and with two fake 50 pence coins.
He admitting to spending the 50p coins and told officers he gave his friend the other fake note.
Defence solicitor for McMulkin said that his client’s honesty was to be ‘commended’.
He added: “He gave a detailed outline of how he came across the note and what his intentions were.
“The defendant is not responsible for making the note and there is no suggestion he was going to tender it. He had just turned 18 two weeks before this incident.”
District Judge Nigel Broderick rebuked the teenager’s plea U-turn accusing him of ‘wasting court time’.
Judge Broderick added: “You have heard what I said, you decided to fix this for contest.
“It s quite remarkable as you admitted to it during interview and now you put in a late plea of guilty on the day of contest.”
McMulkin was ordered to pay a fine of £250.
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