Defendant appears in court for using fake passport - The Munster Express

Defendant appears in court for using fake passport News The Munster Express

Waterford District Court recently heard a case involving a man who used a fake passport to apply for a PPSN.

The man, aged in his 60s, appeared before Judge Catriona Murray in court this month. He pleaded guilty to a charge of using a false instrument, contrary to Section 26 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, and cannot be named for legal reasons as he is in the process of applying for asylum in Ireland.

Detective Garda Trevor Conroy told the court that in 2021, details from a PPSN application made that year were flagged on the Department of Social Protection’s system as matching an application previously made in 2015.

The photo and signature on the 2021 application were the same as the one made six years previously. Det Conroy said the matter was subsequently sent to Gardaí for investigation, and the accused was identified from the photo.

A British passport with the details of a deceased man was used by the accused for the PPSN application. It was noted that he has no previous convictions.

Acting for the defendant, solicitor Hilary Delahunty said that his client wanted to contest the charge, but the DPP had directed for it to remain in the District Court only if a guilty plea was indicated. The solicitor added that this was ‘quite unfair’ and that the state’s evidence was ‘circumstantial’.

Mr. Delahunty highlighted that the accused has no previous convictions, has not come to any further Garda attention since the matter was flagged in 2021, and that it took ‘quite a lot of time’ for his client to be prosecuted.

It was noted by Det Conroy that no claim for social welfare was made using the PPSN.

Judge Murray decided to adjourn the matter for a year to give the accused a chance to come to no further Garda attention. The judge indicated that the court will consider if the case can be struck out on 5 October 2027.

Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme Robyn Power - Munster Express Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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