Enniskillen Court house
A 63-year-old factory worker from Lisnaskea who used a fake driver’s licence for ten years was finally caught after he became involved in a road crash and has been banned from driving for nine months.
Richard Thomas Reginald Collum, of Sylvan Hill, admitted using a fraudulent driver’s licence and a number of other driving offences when he appeared before Fermanagh court.
The accused, who was banned from driving 27 years ago, went to Monaghan and bought a fake southern driving licence – but claimed it was legitimate.
He used the fake licence for some ten years and went undetected until he went to apply for a northern driving licence.
A prosecutor explained to the court that police received a report from DVA about a southern driving licence which was suspected to be fraudulent.
The officers discovered that DVA had recovered the licence in an application form which was to change the Republic of Ireland licence to a Northern Ireland drivers’ licence.
However, after a number of checks on its authenticity, they were told that it was not valid and the driving licence number was connected to a different driving licence and had been used on other fraudulent application forms.
The court was told that Collum had been involved in a road traffic collision in August and had produced the same licence in that accident.
Police officers contacted Collum and arrested him forgiving a false declaration to obtain a licence, forging information on a road traffic document and driving without insurance.
He told officers that he bought it in Monaghan some ten years ago but could not tell them where or who he purchased it from.
Defence solicitor Brian Charity explained that it was Collum’s first time appearing before a court and that the matter arose after the defendant was involved in the road traffic accident.
He added there was no financial loss to the insurance company despite his policy being invalid due to his fraudulent licence.
Mr Charity claimed that his client bought the licence and received it some days later and believed that it was legitimate.
“He was disqualified 27 years ago for five years and he foolishly never applied for his licence again,” he said.
“He previously sat a test in Northern Ireland but he said he found the theory test quite daunting and never completed the test.
“The defendant said he knew it was a situation where he knew he was eventually going to be caught. When he bought the licence he thought it was real.”
However, the accused’s claims was dismissed by District Judge Nigel Broderick who questioned how the defendant was under the impression he could get a licence without sitting a driving test.
“That submission stresses the credibility of the court,” he added.
“He needs to face reality as these are serious matters.”
He was disqualified for nine months and charged a total of £800 for driving without insurance, false declaration to obtain a licence and forging road traffic documents.
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