`A branch or tag with the name` ... `could not be found` shouldn't be displayed when repository doesn't exist

[jsoref]

In https://github.com/check-spelling-sandbox/friendly-octo-bassoon/actions/runs/22427724941,
https://github.com/check-spelling-sandbox/friendly-octo-bassoon/actions/runs/22427724941/job/65016495678#step:2:210

Run actions/checkout@v6

  with:
    clean: true
    fetch-depth: 0
    fetch-tags: false
    filter: tree:0
    lfs: false
    path: .
    persist-credentials: true
    ref: whatever
  
    repository: check-spelling-sandbox/404
    set-safe-directory: true
    show-progress: false
    sparse-checkout-cone-mode: true
    ssh-strict: true
    ssh-user: git
    token: ***
  env:
    THIS_ACTION_PATH: /home/runner/work/_actions/check-spelling-sandbox/check-spelling/missing-repo
    spellchecker: /home/runner/work/_actions/check-spelling-sandbox/check-spelling/missing-repo
    THIS_GITHUB_JOB_ID: spelling
    GIT_CURL_VERBOSE: true
    GIT_TRACE: true
    GIT_SSH_COMMAND: ssh -v -v -v
    checkout_git_err: /tmp/tmp.MmuSMOscYp
    checkout_git_out: /tmp/tmp.79K9YdYwqW

....

Fetching the repository

  /usr/bin/git -c protocol.version=2 fetch --no-tags --prune --no-recurse-submodules --filter=tree:0 origin +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/* +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*

...

remote: Repository not found.

  remote: Repository not found.
  Error: fatal: repository 'https://github.com/check-spelling-sandbox/404/' not found

...

The next stage shouldn't happen (because the previous stage had a fatal failure):

Determining the checkout info
  /usr/bin/git branch --list --remote origin/whatever
  /usr/bin/git tag --list whatever
  Error: A branch or tag with the name 'whatever' could not be found