Courts / Westmeath / Report
Jail term halved for Albanian who pretended to be Kosovar refugee
Summary
An Albanian man, Emri Bardhoshi, fraudulently obtained Irish citizenship by pretending to be a Kosovan refugee, using a false identity that was five years younger than his actual age. He was granted Leave to Remain in 2007 and later naturalised under this false identity, also obtaining passports for himself and three of his four children. In 2017 he developed liver problems and feared that his understated age would affect treatment, prompting him to consult a solicitor and bring his case to authorities. He pleaded guilty to four offences related to passport fraud and a false declaration in his 2012 citizenship application. The Court of Appeal reduced his original 18‑month suspended sentence, imposing a total of three years in prison with nine months suspended, and required him to comply with conditions including a bond for good behaviour and a Garda visit on 1 September.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail term halved for Albanian who pretended to be Kosovar refugee. Charges or matters: four offences relating to applying for Irish passports for his three youngest children and himself, and with making a false declaration on 21 February 2012 in his application for citizenship. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- 21 February 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
- September 1st Other
- 1st September Hearing Or Sentence
- 2020-07-31 Publication
Why: He consulted a solicitor in order to bring his position to the attention of the authorities. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: four offences relating to applying for Irish passports for his three youngest children and himself, and with making a false declaration on 21 February 2012 in his application for citizenship (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He was sentenced to three years in prison with the final 18 months suspended, and was given until September 1st to get his affairs in order before going into custody. The court quashed the original sentence and again imposed three years in prison, this time suspending all but nine months of that sentence.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Mullingar
- Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court
- Mullingar
- Mullingar Road
- Castlepollard
- to present at Mullingar Garda Station
- Mullingar
Topics
Related court reports
- Brothers who sexually assaulted teenage girls in mid-nineties can now be identified for first time
- Retired Franciscan brother jailed for 11 years for raping boy
- Ukrainian man left with serious head injury after unprovoked fire extinguisher attack
- 'Try not to let me down': judge cuts phone thief's sentence
- Man who attacked vulnerable brother in bid to 'drain' his blood is committed to Central Mental Hospital
- 'Terrible shroud of sadness': jury takes just 32 mins to find mentally ill man not guilty of trying to murder brother
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request