Man jailed for making £380,000 of fake banknotes

A man has been jailed for seven years for setting up a counterfeit currency production line producing fake Scottish bank notes.

Lee Mitchell, 54, set up a factory in Rochdale to produce the notes, with police forcing entry on 7 February 2024 and finding £380,000 worth of £20 Royal Bank of Scotland notes being made.

Mitchell, of Britannia Road, Morley, was convicted of conspiracy to make counterfeit currency along with co-defendant John Sutcliffe, 42, of Gale Street, Rochdale.

During the sentencing at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, Her Honour Judge Kate Rayfield said that "multiple more runs of money could have been produced" had police not intervened.

"In the summer of 2023 you set up a counterfeit company and bought machinery and materials in a way that would leave no trace," she told Mitchell.

"You had no rental agreement, stored machinery in your locker and didn't have a smartphone - all these were deliberate."

Ms Rayfield noted Sutcliffe was already working at the unit and was "placed in a difficult position" when Mitchell arrived.

He was given 20 months in jail for playing a "lesser role" and was released on Friday due to time already served on remand.

"You could not escape what was happening in front of your eyes and knew what was going on - you just facilitated access to the unit due to your role," she told him.

Mitchell was also given a five-year serious crime prevention order.

A third defendant, Stanley Carnall, is due to be sentenced in January.

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