‘Blame it on the Photocopier’ – Photocopiers in the News

Tuesday, 08 March 2011 08:00

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The Serial Forger Banned from Owning a Photocopier

In the ‘Blame it on the Photocopier’ series, Canon Copiers brings you some of the most fascinating stories to have hit the headlines in recent years involving photocopiers.

In October 2008, the Northern Echo, a regional paper in the North East, reported that a serial forger who had counterfeited in excess of £70,000 using photocopiers, printers and scanners had been banned from ever owning a photocopier and even high quality paper and foil, under tough new powers.

John Bennett, 52, was jailed for seven years for running a counterfeiting cottage industry, from his modest home in Oakenshaw, near Crook, County Durham. Judge Peter Armstrong ordered that Bennett’s scanning machines and photocopiers be destroyed after hearing the fraudster had carried on forging after serving four years for similar offences in 2002.

Bennett was arrested in July 2007 after a number of fake notes were found in local shops. He was then bailed and arrested twice more for committing further offences. He had faked £20 Bank of England, Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland notes, which had turned up in shops across Cumbria, Northumberland and County Durham. Forged notes with a face-value of £70,920 were detected at banks and other continued to be found as they filtered through the system.

In court, Judge Armstrong commented to Bennett,

“You are clearly a very determined counterfeiter, not one without talent, as the quality of the notes is described as good… Unfortunately for you, that makes the matter more serious.”

Bennett admitted 14 counts relating to the production of counterfeit currency and also, rather bizarrely, one charge of possessing a firearm – a prohibited high power air rifle.

On his release from prison, Bennett will be banned for five years from owning photocopiers and printing and scanning equipment as well as high quality paper, foil and ink.

Look out for further installments in the ‘Blame it on the Photocopier’ series. For any information on the latest Canon photocopiers please contact Canon Copiers