An Albanian national caught in possession of false documentation in Lurgan has been jailed for five months.
Fjorald Pjetri (22), with an address listed as Kilmacoo Court in Athlone, had offences detected on January 15 this year.
He admitted charges of possessing a false identity document, being in the UK illegally, not having insurance or driving licence and possession of cannabis.
He appeared via video link from prison at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The court was told police stopped him driving an Alfa Romeo car at Pollock Drive in Lurgan. He had a counterfeit Croatian driving licence in another name and a Croatian ID card was also counterfeit.
He had 14 grammes of cannabis in a glass olive jar.
A prosecutor added that “a number of Albanian passports were found” in the car.
A defence barrister said the defendant is originally an Albanian national who knew he was unlawfully in the UK.
“He had fake identity documents in order to try and stay here. He realises the foolishness of his ways,” said the barrister.
The lawyer said the defendant has “already consented to deportation”.
The barrister added: “He is not a man who has been enjoying his time in custody. He is a man who suffers, and he is happy for me to disclose, from haemorrhoids and he has not been able to get treatment that he requires whilst in the prison environment. So I think that has been a very salutary lesson to him.”
As well as the jail sentence the defendant was given a one year conditional discharge and was banned from driving for three months.
