Driver produced fake driving licence when stopped in Laois

A man produced a fake driving licence to the gardaí when stopped, Portlaoise district court heard on Thursday last. 

Rory O’Brien, 57, of 27 Killenard Lodge, Portarlington was charged with having a fake driving licence, no driving licence and no insurance at Skirteen, Monasterevin on February 18, 2021. 

He pleaded guilty.

Sgt JJ Kirby told the court that on the date in question a vehicle was detected doing 76kph in a 50kph zone. 

When stopped, the driver produced a fake driving licence to the gardaí. There was also an expired insurance cert for Chill insurance. When the gardaí subsequently checked, he had no insurance. 

Appearing for Mr O’Brien, solicitor Philip Meagher said he was a 57-year old married man. He was a farmer and a plant machine dealer. 

He had his name down to do driving lessons. He did produce a Zurich policy of insurance which had expired. He would have been insured on an FBD policy only for his driving licence. 

He had returned home from the US in 2017. He had a US driving licence. He had a conversation with a man who told him of a method of converting a US licence to an Irish licence. 

Mr O’Brien paid €500 and a licence was given to him. He was in the process of trying to get a full Irish licence. 

Mr Meagher said that he spends six months in the US every year working, and he has done this for 20 years. He has a business visa and his concern was that this visa would be revoked if he had a conviction. 

He had €1,000 in court. Mr Meagher noted his early plea. He said that Mr O’Brien had a tillage farm which was fragmented and necessitated journeys. He employed a number of people. 

Judge Catherine Staines fined him €300 for no insurance, €100 for no driving licence and applied Section 1(1) on the fake driving licence matter.