Waterford man given prison sentence for 'poor job' insurance forgery
Waterford Courthouse
A Ferrybank man has received an eight-month prison sentence for a “very poor job” of a forgery of an insurance certificate.
Aaron Theo Cavanagh (24), of 73 Marymount, Ferrybank, Waterford, was before Waterford District Court charged with using a false instrument contrary to Section 28 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 at Waterford Courthouse on November 13, 2024.
The court was told that prior to the incident, gardaí on patrol stopped a car that had an insurance certificate belonging to another vehicle.
They issued a fixed penalty notice, which went unpaid, and while another certificate was provided, it turned out to belong to the defendant’s mother’s car.
The defendant was arrested for producing a false instrument and made no comment to the charge.
The court was told the defendant had three previous convictions, all under the Road Traffic Act 1961 and included driving without insurance.
Acting for the defendant, solicitor Hilary Delahunty explained to the court that he met Mr Cavanagh in late 2024 in court and that he asked him for help.
He had been disqualified from driving earlier in the year for no insurance, but he hadn’t been represented at the time.
He claimed that he had insurance, but no cert, and not knowing what to do in court, it had all gone wrong.
Mr Delahunty told the court that he advised his client that they could appeal the disqualification if he could produce a certificate, to which the defendant said he could.
The matter went to the Circuit Court of Appeal, and the defendant produced a picture of an insurance certificate on which he had scribbled out the date and changed it with a black pen.
He gave it to Mr Delahunty, who brought the certificate to the Sergeant in the court, who queried whether it was legitimate. Mr Delahunty brought it back to the defendant, who confirmed that it was.
However, when the Sergeant investigated, it was confirmed as a forgery.
“And at that point we were in trouble,” said Mr Delahunty.
They withdrew the appeal, and Mr Cavanagh was disqualified from driving for four years.
Mr Delahunty said this was not a sophisticated forgery but rather a “a very poor job by a stupid young man”.
“He is after getting himself into awful trouble. It was awful stupid. He made a stupid mistake as young men often do,” said Mr Delahunty.
Also in mitigation, the solicitor pointed out that his client is employed as a manager at a go-kart place.
Judge Kevin Staunton said that the system operates on the basis that if a person does have insurance but no paperwork just yet, they can produce it and the matter can be struck out.
However, “This was a premeditated attempt to deceive everyone, deceive the guards and the court.
“It is a very serious matter that has to be dealt with in a serious manner," said Judge Staunton.
He convicted the defendant and sentenced him to eight months in prison, with recognisance also fixed in the matter.
