A HELSBY man who tried to buy takeaway pizza and scratch cards with fake money has been jailed.

Lee Riley, of Chester Road in Helsby was arrested after a Dominoes delivery driver became suspicious when he tried to buy pizzas with two counterfeit £20 notes.

And when police searched the 29-year-old’s car they discovered £780 worth of fake notes stuffed in a wallet, Chester Crown Court heard.

On Monday (February 25) Riley was jailed for six months after pleading guilty to possessing 39 counterfeit £20 notes.

The court heard how on August 4 last year Riley attempted to buy scratch cards from a local convenience using the fake notes, but was refused by staff after they realised the money was fraudulent.

Prosecuting, Chris Taylor, described how later the same evening Riley was at a house in Newry Park East in Chester when he attempted to buy Dominoes pizza using the notes, but was foiled when the driver became suspicious.

“Officers from Blacon attended at 6.45pm,” said Mr Taylor.

“They went to the boot of the car and inside they discovered a large bag containing a wallet full of counterfeit notes. His fingerprints were found on one of the notes.”

Riley, who has previous convictions for theft, assault and possession of cocaine from when he lived in the East Midlands and Merseyside, did not enter any defence for the allegations.

Sentencing Riley, the Recorder of Chester Judge Elgan Edwards said: “This is a very serious matter. Having counterfeit money is just conning people and it really cannot be tolerated.”