News

A French driver who successfully used a forged Irish HGV licence for eight months is facing a jail sentence after magistrates referred his case to a crown court.

Emanuel Michelot of Bruary la Bruissiere was caught driving a 40-tonne artic in North Wales with a false driving licence. Flintshire Magistrates decided their powers of punishment were insufficient after Michelot admitted driving when not authorised to do so, driving a vehicle without insurance, and using a driving licence calculated  to deceive.

Prosecuting, Susan Duncombe said Michelot had never passed a test to qualify him to drive HGVs and was therefore uninsured. He was using a bogus licence, which he had picked up in Ireland, when his vehicle was stopped during a routine check by Vosa officials on the A494 at Ewloe. The false licence was quite an accomplished forgery - so good that Vosa intended to keep it for training purposes. It had been issued in Dublin two years earlier and Michelot admitted he had repeatedly used it for the past eight months. Examination showed that the licence appeared to have been altered, part two having been taped on to it and the watermarks did not match. Michelot paid 120 euro to the person who altered the licence.

For Michelot, Gary Harvey warned that a number of other drivers were doing the same. He argued that a hefty fine and a driving ban would be sufficient punishment.

The magistrates remanded Michelot in custody to appear at Mold Crown Court in three  weeks' time for sentence.

SUMMARY

A FINE NOT ENOUGH

The magistrates considered the maximum fine of £5,000 they could impose was insufficient whereas a crown court had the power of imprisonment.