Man sued for settling a debt with coppers

Gareth Fuller/PA

A disgruntled man who paid an £800 accountant's bill with coppers has been ordered by a judge to pay the debt 'properly.'

Robert Fitzpatrick dumped five crates of loose change in the front garden of his accountant, Philip Lawrence, after a row, according to a report in the Daily Mail today. So why wasn't the payment accepted as legal tender?