A Judge has told a well-known football referee he made the worst investment of his life after paying €150 for a bogus driving license.
Mervyn Stewart was stopped by Gardai at Coneyburrow Road in Lifford on December 23rd, 2012.
Gardai suspected the license produced by Stewart was a fake but he denied the claim.
When Gardai contacted Donegal County Council, it said it had no record of Stewart’s license.
Solicitor Kieran Dillon told the court that Stewart, 56, from 354 Grahamsland, Castlefin, had worked as a barman and was told he could get a fake driving license for €150 which he did.
Mr Dillon said his client had possessed a number of provisional licenses but was off the road for a while.
When he went back on the road he was “overwhelmed” by the thought of sitting theory tests and new legislation so he bought the fake license.
Letterkenny District Court heard today how Stewart is a 56 year old married father of three who is well-known in the community.
He is a junior referee and does a lot of work in the community and is very embarrassed by what happened.
He is a member of the local tidy town’s group and is also involved in the local drama group.
The court heard the accused was insured but because his license was forged, the insurance company Zurich cancelled his policy.
“It will rank as one of the worst investment in his life,” said Judge Paul Kelly.
He fined Stewart €150 for having a false document and a further €250 for having no insurance.