Cork motorist who bought fake UK driving licence in 1986 had 'forgotten' it wasn't valid, court told

Judge gives 73-year-old conditional discharge and wishes him well in his efforts to attain a legal licence

Michael Russell's false licence was endorsed in 2001 for a drink driving offence and returned to him without issue.

A motorist who bought a false driving licence at a road bowling match in 1986 continued to use the document for so long he had almost forgotten it wasn’t a real licence.

Clonakilty District Court heard that 72-year-old Michael Russell, with an address in Rosscarbery, Co Cork, had bought the UK driving licence at a road bowling score in England more than 30 years ago and had continued to use it ever since.

His solicitor Conrad Murphy told Judge James McNulty that Mr Russell had tried to exchange the licence for an Irish one through the National Driver Licence Service following Brexit and it was only then that it came to light that the licence was not a valid one.

Mr Murphy said: “It would appear that he had almost forgotten about it. For all those years he was always insured and paid his road tax, and he went about exchanging the licence in the proper way as well. He had worked in England and been back and forward between the UK and Ireland many times.”

The court heard that Mr Russell may have believed that the licence was indeed valid as it had been endorsed in 2001 for a drink driving offence and returned to him without issue. Prior to 1997, British driving licences did not include a photograph and were valid until the holder’s 70th birthday.

Mr Murphy said that Mr Russell had stopped driving when the licence was found to be invalid and was now in the process of taking the theory test to obtain a legal Irish licence.

Judge McNulty said that Mr Russell had been seriously impacted by the loss of his licence and noted that for a man of his age it was a challenge to apply for and pass a driving test.

He added: “Oh what a tangled web we weave,” before conditionally discharging Mr Russell and wishing him well in his efforts to finally attain a licence by legal means.