Man caught with counterfeit 'movie prop money' spared criminal record

Ross Hyland (26), who had €380 worth of fake cash on him when he was searched by gardai, said he found it in his carriage when he bought it and held onto the notes for "some reason."

Judge Bryan Smyth applied the Probation Act, leaving him without a conviction when he paid the same amount to charity.

Hyland, a father-of-one of Blackhorse Grove, Dublin 7 pleaded guilty to possession of counterfeit €5 notes at Donard estate in Cabra on December 11, 2019.

Hyland had pleaded guilty earlier and when the case came back before Judge Smyth, a defence lawyer said the money had been paid to Fr Peter McVerry's Trust.

Previously, Dublin District Court heard gardai saw Hyland in a vehicle acting suspiciously and approached him and asked what he was doing.

He gave the gardai permission to search the vehicle and they found a wallet containing €380 in denominations of €5, which were a fraudulent currency.

Garda Alan Reddy explained that the cash was "prop money" used as "motion props, in movies." Hyland was arrested and made full admissions, he said.

Judge Smyth asked the garda "how close to a real note it was."

The garda said there were key security features missing from it but it "could be passed off in a shop."

"It does say 'this is not legal tender'" the judge said.

Hyland used a horse and carriage for work, his solicitor Andrew Broderick said. He saved up to buy the carriage and the counterfeit money was in the carriage when he got it.

He knew he should have reported it to the gardai but "for whatever reason", he held onto it, Mr Broderick said.

Hyland had not used the money on customers "or anything like that." He made no gain from having the notes and was very remorseful.