A man who tried to obtain a Northern Ireland licence by passing a counterfeit Bulgarian document has been fined £350.
The 32-year-old’s barrister told court: “He had wanted to get a licence but he did not have to time to go through the process and so took the easy way out.”
Petar Kirchev Mihaylov, 32, of Abbey Street, Armagh pleaded guilty to using a false instrument with intent at the city’s Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
It was heard that on November 8, DVLNI in Coleraine received an application from the defendant to exchange a Bulgarian licence for a Northern Ireland licence.
Checks with the Bulgarian Licensing authority revealed that Mihaylov did not hold a valid licence.
Police later examined the licence which had been submitted by the defendant and confirmed it was counterfeit.
Mihaylov was subsequently arrested and during interview made full admissions.
He told police he purchased the licence from a friend for £200.
Defence barrister Kevin O’Hare stated: “This is a man with a clear record, he has been in this jurisdiction since December 2016 and lives with his partner.
“He had wanted to get a licence but he did not have to time to go through the process and so took the easy way out.”
Mihaylov was ordered to pay a fine of £350, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within 16 weeks.
