Obtained a counterfeit driving licence

Stephen McNally, Kingsway Drive, Portadown, admitted driving without insurance and fraud.For each of these offences he was sentenced to three months in prison.

He was also banned for 12 months for the no insurance charge and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy. For possession of a false driving document he was fined £500 and a fine of £200 was imposed for not having a driving licence.

The court heard that on April 19 this year police saw the defendant driving in Portadown and stopped him because they believed he was a disqualified driver.

McNally said he could produce a licence at his home address and showed police a counterpart of a licence.

It was of poor quality and he admitted it was counterfeit and that he had told the insurance company he had a full and valid licence.

Defence barrister Aaron Thompson said this was a ‘genuine fraud’ and that his client had acquired the licence in the south some time ago.

He added that McNally had a poor driving record and for the last 15 years he had been offence free but the offence might cross the custody threshold because of the level of dishonesty.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, said this was a ‘very serious matter’ and told McNally he had set out to obtain a counterfeit copy of a driving licence. “It was pre-meditated and pre-planned,” she added.

Later in the court she released the defendant on his own bail of £500 to appeal against the sentencing.