A MAN who twice tried to buy goods in York city centre with fake money has kept his freedom.

Police stopped Philip John Bird, 29, as he headed towards the city along the A19 in a stolen car and confiscated four fake £50 notes from his car and house, said prosecutor Keith Allen at York Crown Court.

But less than a month later, he was in Tesco’s Low Ousegate store handing over another fake £50 note as he tried to buy a scratchcard and other items.

The shop staff refused to accept it, so he went to Sainsbury’s in Micklegate to buy scratchcards

But staff were on the alert and he left claiming he didn’t have enough money.

Arrested shortly afterwards, he claimed he hadn’t known the note was fake until he went into Tesco’s. He had a second fake note in his trouser pocket.

Bird, of Chapel Street, Easingwold, pleaded guilty to four charges of possessing or tendering counterfeit notes and one of handling a stolen car.

In a separate case, he admitted having a small amount of cocaine and amphetamine for his own use. He had previously admitted driving whilst disqualified when stopped on the A19.

Judge Simon Hickey said anyone with counterfeit money was usually jailed as their crimes undermined the country’s economy. But Bird’s crimes had been in August and September 2018, nearly two years ago, and among other matters, he had come off drugs and served a 20-week prison sentence for the banned driving and other offences.

The judge handed out a two-year prison sentence, the maximum length that can be suspended, and suspended it for two years.