Fake notes for lunch, with court for afters
A Taranaki man shouted his family KFC for lunch using counterfeit cash.
Whare Karaitiana, 30, handed over a fake $100 note at the Hawera fast food outlet at 1pm on December 6 for a $45 meal for his children, partner and an associate.
Karaitiana and another man, David Bannan, both admitted charges relating to using fake money during December, when they appeared separately in Hawera District Court on Tuesday.
Karaitiana had visited four businesses over two weeks and managed to buy items using the counterfeit money, police prosecutor Steve Hickey said. Each time, he received change in real money.
On December 7, Karaitiana went to a secondhand clothing outlet in Eltham and bought items using another fake $100 note.
An hour later, he went to the Hospital Supa Store in Hawera and used a fake $100 bill to buy some pies and drinks.
On December 14 he used a fake $20 bill to buy a can of coke from the Top Dairy in Inglewood and took away $18 change in real money.
When he was interviewed by police on December 16, he said he had got the counterfeit notes from two associates knowing they were fake.
A total of $320 in reparation was sought from Karaitiana by the police.
Judge Philip Crayton convicted Karaitiana on the four charges. He was sentenced to 120 hours’ community work and ordered to pay the reparation within 48 hours.
Earlier, David Bannan, who refused to talk to a duty lawyer, pleaded guilty to two charges of using a document for pecuniary advantage.
On December 14, Bannan used a fake $50 to buy a bottle of oil at the Z station in Inglewood, and then attempted to buy a packet of Port Royal tobacco from Stratford Foursquare.
However, the shop assistant noticed the screwed up $50 offered was fake, handed it back to the defendant and took the tobacco off the counter, Hickey said.
When spoken to by the police, Bannan said he had recently sold a car for $600 to an unknown person in Hawera and received fake money.
‘‘Once he realised the money was counterfeit he alleged he had burned the remainder of the money,’’ Hickey said.
Reparation of $50 was sought from Bannon, who told Judge Crayton he was unemployed.
‘‘You’ll have time to do some community work then,’’ the judge said.
‘‘I’d prefer Bannon.
However, the judge sentenced him to 80 hours community work and ordered him to repay the $50.
‘‘Was that 18?’’ asked Bannon from the dock.
‘‘Eighty. 8-0,’’ replied the judge firmly. not to,’’ replied