A PRINTER used by a London criminal gang to print £5 million worth of counterfeit sterling £20 notes and English Ministry of Transport logbooks was given a suspended sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Det Sgt Fergus Treanor, of the Garda Anti Racketeering Unit, said Edward O'Brien was approached when he got into personal and business debt in 1993.
He printed the MOT documents and was paid £5,000 for his work but was then threatened into working on the counterfeit notes. The plates were made from negatives sent from London.
Mr Gregory Murphy, SC, prosecuting, and Mr Hugh Mohan, defending, described the quality of the notes as "atrocious".
O'Brien (43), married with an address at Swords Manor View, Swords, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of forgery implements on November 19th, 1994 at Unit 3, Kaybee House, Shanowen Road, Santry.
The details of the charge state the defendant had unlawful possession of "paper upon which words, figures, letters, marks, lines and devices had been printed, or otherwise made the print whereof resembled in whole or in part words, figures, letters, marks, lines, and devices peculiar to and used in or on a bank note".
Det Sgt Treanor said the Santry premises was under surveillance as a result of confidential information. The unfinished banknotes were found when it was searched eventually.
Judge Cyril Kelly was told the defendant was a printer before he set up business when he received a road traffic accident award in January 1993. The business did not do dwell and he found himself in debt. The maximum sentence for the offence was seven years imprisonment.
Det Sgt Treanor agreed with Mr Mohan the defendant had no previous convictions and had not come to Garda notice since.
Mr Mohan said O'Brien had learned a costly lesson. He was in serious debt with a £40,000 loan in England when he got involved in printing the forged British MOT certificates. He was then threatened into participating in the forged banknote printing because he was compromised. He had admitted his role immediately to gardai.
Judge Kelly said he agreed the quality of the banknotes was bad. He imposed a 30 months suspended sentence on condition O'Brien keep the peace for three years.