A bungling fraudster who hoped to dupe Perth businesses with thousands of pounds worth of counterfeit cash had his scheme rumbled by an eagle-eyed member of the public.
John Wells (25) had travelled to the town from Glasgow with a wallet containing £2320 in fake notes. However, within minutes of him stopping in Perth his plans for an illicit shopping trip were in tatters.
Wells, who admitted he had been “a victim of foolishness,” was spotted by a passer-by as he unwisely put the finishing touches to his scheme in the middle of a busy car park.
He was seen spraying what appeared to be a number of individual bank notes with a large can of hairspray a move he believed would fool some of the test devices commonly used on the high street.
As Wells doctored the dud notes one by one the witness thought the behaviour was suspicious enough to contact the police and officers swooped on the accused within minutes.
They found a surprised Wells in the passenger seat of a car, with his friend Nicholas Charalambous behind the wheel.
A search of the car revealed 116 counterfeit Bank of England £20 notes, together with a quantity of cocaine.
Charalambous (40), of Queensland Gardens, Glasgow, was fined £200 at Perth Sheriff Court earlier this year after he admitted possessing the class A drug within the Speygate car park on September 8 last year.
Wells returned to the town yesterday to appear before Sheriff Peter Anderson.
The court heard that the accused felt he’d been “suckered” into joining the scheme to pass counterfeit money and accepted that he had been foolish.
Bidding to help his client avoid a prison sentence, solicitor Billy Somerville said Wells was trying hard to secure employment and would also be willing to carry out community service.
Sentencing Wells, Sheriff Anderson said, “I am told that you know that you have been foolish but this was also a very serious offence.
“For the sake of society our currency must be able to be relied upon. A custodial sentence is a very real possibility.
“However, on this occasion I am willing to impose community service as an alternative.”
Wells was ordered to carry out 150 hours of community service.