Man passed fake €50 notes in Mayo store
The defendant pleaded guilty to the offence.
A man caught with €1,200 worth of counterfeit notes passed off the fake currency in a Mayo store.
Michael Sweeney, aged 23, of Ballindode, Co Sligo, pleaded guilty at last week's sitting of Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the counterfeit cash.
Gda Fergal O’Caheny told the court that Kernan’s Top Oil in Charlestown reported the tendering of two suspicious €50 notes.
Sweeney entered the shop on February 10, 2024 and paid for a bottle of Lucozade with a €50 note. He then asked for change for a second €50 note. Staff later became suspicious of the cash and contacted Gardaí.
The next day, Gardaí in Tubbercurry became aware of a man reportedly using fake €50 notes in the Sligo and Mayo area. An English-registered Vauxhall Astra was suspected of being involved and when the vehicle was spotted it was followed as it travelled towards Charlestown.
Gda O’Caheny was at the scene when the car was stopped at Laveybeg, Charlestown. Gardaí discovered 23 fake €50 notes in a sports bag and another counterfeit note in the glove compartment. The vehicle had no insurance when stopped.
Sweeney gave a ‘no comment’ interview to Gardaí. The court heard the counterfeit cash was of a poor quality.
Sweeney has five previous convictions in the United Kingdom and France.
The court was told he spent one year and two months in a prison in Limoges in France.
Sweeney claimed he fell in with the wrong crowd and regrets the counterfeit currency offence.
While giving evidence, Sweeney said he was imprisoned in France while a theft investigation was being carried out. He claimed he was then sent back to Ireland.
The defendant told the court he was in France ‘sight-seeing’ with his wife and visited the Eiffel Tower. However, she was not present while he was a passenger in a car with ‘far out relatives’ during his arrest by French police in the city of Limoges.
Sweeney refused to tell Judge Eoin Garavan who the other people in the car were when asked.
The unemployed father-of-two has failed to compensate the Charlestown store.
“You couldn’t be bothered,” remarked Judge Garavan.
“He’s not a naïve individual. He’s dishonest,” the judge added.
He said Sweeney has never worked a day in his life and three months after his release from prison in France he committed the offence before the court.
Judge Garavan remanded Sweeney in custody until July 15 for finalisation of the case.
- Published as part of the Courts Reporting Scheme.
