Ifamuyiwa Callisto , 52, a Nigerian resident in the United Kingdom, was on Thursday sentenced to six months imprisonment for stealing a fake 100 pounds note.
The trial Judge, Daphne Wickham, in her judgement, sentenced Callisto to three months on each of the two counts of theft after he pleaded guilty.
Mr. Tom Cockroft, the defence lawyer, said the father of three had resorted to crime owing to financial difficulties.
The sentence would run separately, with a further three month term running concurrently.
According to a local newspaper, an undercover operation was launched by the City of London detectives after lawyers complained that mobile phones, cash and wigs were missing from the robbing room in the court.
It stated that they rigged up cameras and left 100 pounds of photocopied dummy bank notes in a wallet as bait.
Callisto, an old Bailey security guard, was caught stealing the fake notes.
"They watched as Callisto entered the changing room for lawyers and rifled through lockers and suit jackets and took the fake cash,'' it stated.
It also stated that when Callisto was arrested, he confessed and said "it was easy pickings''.
It also stated that 1,900 pounds worth of fountain pens belonging to Mr. Michael Wolkind, the Queen's Counsel, was also found in his house during a search.
Source:
Nigerian Observer
