A Brazilian man forked out €400 at a roadside meeting for a fake driving licence and then attempted to use it to get insurance, the Galway District Court heard this week.
Paula Da Conceicoa (39 ) with an address at Dunsandle, Athenry, Galway, appeared before Judge Gerard Haughton and pleaded guilty to being in possession of a false driving licence and using it to induce a person to accept it as genuine at Hibernian Insurance, Eyre Square, on September 15, 2008.
Inspector Pat McHugh told the court that the defendant went into Hibernian Insurance with the false Irish driving licence to use it as evidence of identification in an attempt to get insurance. When he produced the document to staff they became suspicious and contacted gardai.
The court heard that during his detention at Galway Garda Station the defendant admitted that he had met a person at a roadside by appointment and had paid €400 for the licence. The document was examined by the County Council and it was confirmed to be false. Inspector McHugh added that the defendant had no previous convictions.
Defence solicitor Adrian MacLynn said that his client had been in the country for one year working in the construction industry. He said that the defendant went to “extreme measures” to get a fake driving licence when his own Brazilian driving licence had run out. Mr MacLynn said that his client accepts he knew what he was doing. The court also heard that the defendant hasn’t driven since the incident and wants to continue his job to support his partner and child who are living in Brazil.
The defendant was fined a total of €500 with five months to pay.
