An ex-taxi man involved in a “racket” in which numerous fake insurance certificates were manufactored was sentenced to six months in jail last week.
The Galway District Court heard how the 34-year-old defendant had been working as a taxi driver for most of last year without having proper insurance in place and that he had produced false documents several times around the city. Following an garda investigation it was discovered that a Quinn Direct policy had been cancelled but that the number had been used to get several fake copies “made up”.
Nigerian national Ese Odogun with an address at 37 Cuirt na Habhainn, Claregalway, appeared in court charged with being in possession of a false instrument and driving without insurance at Dublin Road on November 5, 2009. He was also charged with driving without insurance at Merchants Road on October 15, 2009, and with using a false instrument at Salthill Garda Station on October 19, 2009.
Garda Gerard Sweeney gave evidence that on October 15 he had been operating a checkpoint with Garda Ray Quinn when a taxi driven by the defendant “quickly” pulled up to the side of the road about 100 yards away. Odogun produced a legitimate driving licence but opted to produce a certificate of insurance at a garda station within 10 days. Four days later a document purporting to be from Quinn Direct insurance was produced at Salthill Garda Station.
An email query was sent by Garda Sweeney to the insurance company checking the status of the policy and it was discovered that the policy had been cancelled in September 2008. Gardai also found that Odogun produced the same false document two to three times in January 2009. On November 5, Odogun was stopped on the Dublin Road and he produced a document which was by then known to be false. The document and the taxi were seized by gardai and on November 13 Odogun made a full statement.
Defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran said that her client had grown up in the UK before coming to Ireland to study and to complete a masters degree which he finished in 2007. Ms Corcoran said that at the time of the offence the defendant had been experiencing financial and marital difficulties and that the taxi work was his only means of income. She stressed that Odogun has no intention of working as a taxi driver anymore. The court then heard that Odogun has no previous convictions.
“It was a cynical act,” replied Judge Mary Fahy who noted this offence, which is a huge problem in Galway, meant that passengers in the taxi were not covered properly.
Garda Sweeney further explained that the defendant had rented the taxi from another person who had been shown a policy of insurance. He said that Odogun had used the old policy until it was cancelled and then took the Quinn insurance number and got several fake policies “made up”. Garda Sweeney added that Quinn insurance had been difficult to work with when tracing this offences, making it virtually “impossible” for gardai to check. He said that the only way these descrepencies come to light is when there is an accident.
“This is a racket. He may not be the only person involved. These documents were concocted and manufactured,” said Judge Fahy who added that the message had to go out from the court that “this is not acceptable”.
Odogun was then convicted and received a total of six months in jail and a disqualfication from driving for two years. Leave to appeal was granted and later taken up.
