A dad who used fake “twenty poond” banknotes to buy games consoles from online sellers has been ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
Ross Melville, 27, bought the counterfeit currency online and used it to buy PlayStation consoles that had been listed for sale on Gumtree.
But eagle-eyed sellers rumbled his ruse when they spotted the false banknotes had a glaring spelling mistake.
Melville appeared for sentencing at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday after previously admitting two charges of fraud and a third of possessing counterfeit currency.
Melville arranged to buy PlayStation consoles worth £430 from two different advertisers last year.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke told Sheriff Robert Frazer that on both occasions the consoles were exchanged for what initially seemed to be £20 notes.
Victim tried to pay cash into bank
After the first transaction Ms Poke said: “They parted ways and, later that afternoon, [the witness] went to pay in the money at the bank and it transpired that the notes were counterfeit.”
The court heard that there were 19 fake £20 notes.
Solicitor David Patterson, for Melville, told the court: “It would appear that these offences were motivated out of desperation.”
He said: “He is remorseful for his actions. The frauds were committed on members of the local community and he is now seen as an outcast.”
Sheriff Robert Frazer imposed a community payback order with 16 months supervision and 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.
He told Melville, of Granish Way, Aviemore, this was: “To reflect the seriousness of the offences.”
