A wad of cash appeared genuine at first glance but there was something of note that made them stand out as fake - they were each worth "twenty poond".
When William Hickson was searched at a Newcastle police station over an unrelated matter, he seemed to be swimming in cash, with £820 in his sock. The notes had images of economist Adam Smith and pin factory workers featured on the reverse but on closer inspection they appeared to have adopted a Geordie accent.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the notes were examined by an expert from the Bank of England, who confirmed the obviously dodgy wad was fake. Prosecutor Andrew Finlay said the police had realised immediately that the notes were counterfeit and added: "There was £820, 41 notes in total. They all had the same serial number.
