Judge criticises failure to deport Brazilian teen

A judge said “God help Ireland” after hearing that the Department of Justice has not made any moves to deport a Brazilian teenager living here illegally.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan jailed Joao Victor Da Silva Mota, aged 18, of The Grove, Gort, for four months, fined him €2,250 and banned him from driving for four years for a spate of road offences on March 9 at Main St, Corofin, Co Clare.

The offences related to the accused having a false driving licence, no driving licence, no insurance, showing a false date of birth, and failing to produce a valid passport.

Judge Durcan referred to a terrorist shooting dead a policeman in Paris on Thursday and said: “The day is gone where people think they can float around the country with false documents.”

Garda Seamus Gleeson told the court that after being found with a false Portuguese driver’s licence, Mr Da Silva Mota’s case had been referred to the Department of Justice but there was no move to deport him. At the time of arrest, Da Silva Mota was here illegally.

On hearing the department had made no move to deport him, Judge Durcan said: “God help Ireland.”

“Someone who comes here from outside and obtains a false driving licence should be deported but the people who run the Department of Justice disagree,” he said.

“I just don’t understand the attitude of the department in relation to people who come in here on the basis of false ID documents; who parade around the country on the basis of false documents — that is a false driving licence; fly around without insurance, as it is based on falsehoods — that such persons are not deported.”

Solicitor for Mr Da Silva Mota, Daragh Hassett said his client has made moves to regularise this status.

Mr Da Silva Mota was freed on bail after meeting bond conditions to appeal the jail term, fines, and driving ban to the circuit court.