Basildon: Forgery was 'non-starter'

David Brown, a currency scientist, said if defendant James Scrivener had wanted a forgery business it would have been "far too amateurish."

Mr Brown added: "As a counterfeit den it was simply a non-starter."

He said the equipment found by police at Scrivener's home in Daltons Fen, Pitsea, was not suitable on his "twopenny-halfpenny printing press."

A sheet of several dud £20 notes discovered on the premises were produced by computer-generated images, the expert concluded.

Unemployed Scrivener had earlier told the jury at Basildon Crown Court he had no training or knowledge of computer work.

He said his passion was printing and when his mother left money in her will he set up a one-man printing firm at his home.

However, Scrivener, 43, said the business was something of a disaster. He advertised extensively in newspapers and local shops, but only ever had one customer -- and even he was not satisfied..

He called his firm James Windsor Security Printing -- Windsor after the Queen. He said he was a Royalist and kept a portrait of Her Majesty in his living room..

He also told the jury he was colour blind where blues and greens were concerned. This was later confirmed by an optician who gave evidence on behalf of Scrivener.

Another witness was his old friend Charles Black, who gained notoriety for his book Counterfeit -- The Story of a Master Forger...

A signed copy of the book was found by police when they swooped on Scrivener's home.

Mr Black, from Farnborough, Kent, said he got to know Scrivener through his Thai bride agency. He said Scrivener got a bride, but the marriage broke down.

Scrivener told the jury he was inspired by Mr Black's book. Scrivener denied five charges related to counterfeit banknotes and having bogus £20 notes with intent to use them.

The trial continues.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.