Court poor box donation demanded from men with forged notes
THREE MEN convicted of having forged Irish £20 bank notes which were purchased in Manchester were ordered to make contributions into the court poor box and had the charges against them dismissed under the Probation Act at Castlebar court. Appearing before Judge William Hamill charged under the Forgery Act were David Syron, Tunacrick, Laherdane, Ballina and Tony Barrett, Terrybawn, Massbrook, Pontoon, Ballina (represented by Mr. Aiden Crowley, solicitor) and Sean Walsh, Derryfada, Bofeenaun, Ballina, (represented by Mr. Rory O'Connor, solicitor). Syron and Barrett pleaded guilty to the charges while Walsh entered a plea of not guilty. At the outset Mr. O'Connor said his client would say he was given money by one of the co-accused in a hotel in Pontoon. At a licenced premises in Laherdane he learned that the money was forged. He still had it on him when he met the Gardai. When they realised they went back to the first premises to rectify any wrong, in case they had passed any forged money. At this stage the Gardai had been called in. In his direct evidence Sean Walsh told the court he was a friend of Tony Barrett and if anyone was stuck for money they would lend them some. On the date in question Barrett owed him money and gave him a £20 note in Healy's. He didn't know there was anything wrong with that note and only found out at a pub in Laherdane where a member of the bar staff called them out to the back and said the notes were dud. He had received one £20 note in Healy's and two more notes before going in Leonard's pub. Witness said they went back to Healy's and tried to find out if there were dud notes as he had paid for a meal. He brought Barrett with him. He went back to put right anything that may have been wrong. Superintendent Joe Staunton put it to him that in his statement he said ten minutes after receiving the note Barrett had told him it was a dud. Now he was saying that did not happen. Further in the statement he said Barrett passed him two £20 notes and that he knew they were duds. Mr. Crowley said when the men arrived back in Healy's Barrett was asleep in the car and had no forged notes on him. Syron had two of the notes. The following day they contacted the Garda Station and made statements. They made good any loss to the injured parties and were co-operative. The court was told Tony Barrett was of Irish parentage and was born and reared in Manchester. He came to Ireland two years ago with his fiancee. He had returned to Manchester for his stag party and was offered £200 worth of dud £20 notes which he bought for £30. The following weekend his fiancee went to Manchester for her party. Barrett and Syron were drinking from about mid-day and decided to take the dud notes from his flat and they used them in a number of establishments in the locality. The following morning they realised what they had done and took action to rectify the situation. They had never been in trouble with the Gardai or the authorities in the UK before. Mr. Crowley said they were"devastated" by what happened and he asked that they be given the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act. With regards the case against Sean Walsh, Tony Barrett told the court that he did not owe him money. He told him in Healy's and on the way into Leonard's pub that the note was a dud. Barrett said he was drunk and remembered Healy's and part of the time in Leonard's. He gave Walsh a note as he wanted to see one and he gave him two more as they went into Leonard's. Judge William Hamill said he was satisfied on the evidence he had heard to convict Sean Walsh. Mr. O'Connor said Walsh had been of good character and had no previous convictions. Judge Hamill told Syron and Barrett to each pay £50 into the court poor box. He said Walsh did not seem to have been as forthcoming and did not appear to be as ready to admit what he did. Mr. O'Connor said there was a lot of drink involved and someone had forgotten the chronological order of events. Judge Hamill said Walsh should pay £60 into the court poor box. He would dismiss the charge against all three under the Probation of Offenders Act. |
