Courts / Dublin / Report

Jail for man whose details were on false passport application

Date
2017-10-18
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

A 25‑year‑old Dublin man, Dean Comerford, was sentenced to one year in jail for providing false information in a passport application. The application, which contained his personal details, was submitted with a photograph that had been spliced to include a different person's image. Comerford had attended Tallaght Garda station in January 2015 to obtain a certification for the application, and the photo was stamped normally. The passport office's fraud department later discovered the splicing. Judge Karen O'Connor found the premeditated nature of the offence aggravating and imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including 12 months of probation supervision. The case also involved co‑accused Derek Corr, who received a five‑year sentence with four years suspended, and a GP who was prosecuted for endorsing the identity form without meeting Comerford. The court noted Comerford's history of 14 convictions, including public order and road traffic offences. Dean Comerford pleaded guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jail for man whose details were on false passport application. Charges or matters: providing false information in the course of applying for a passport on a date between April 1 and 13, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Why: The court heard that because of concerns about the application, another certificate of identity had been sent out for Comerford. Court evidence reported by CNI

Case subjects

Dean Comerford

Defendant

Charges: providing false information in the course of applying for a passport on a date between April 1 and 13, 2015 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge O'Connor imposed a two and a half year sentence. She suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions including 12 months probation supervision.

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Residence
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Garda Station
  • Comerford attended at Tallaght Garda station
  • Tallaght
  • in attending at the garda station

Topics

Fraud Public Order Road Traffic Stage Sentence

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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