Courts / Dublin / Report

Engineer faked three passport applications

Date
2021-03-15
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

John Power, 55, an Irish engineer living in the Netherlands, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to providing false information to the passport office twice, in February 2015 and between January and February 2016. He had obtained a fake Irish passport in 2006 by using the birth certificate of a Tipperary man named John Power, and later tried to secure another fake passport in his brother's name. Power claimed he sought the passports to avoid a 1998 drink‑driving conviction that might surface while he travelled across Europe. He was arrested at Dublin Airport while travelling to the US on a legitimate passport. Judge Pauline Codd, noting medical evidence of a past stroke and memory loss, imposed a suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, citing the high level of planning and the fact that the fake passports were used to circumvent the law regarding the drink‑driving offence. The sentence was suspended on a number of conditions.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Engineer faked three passport applications. Charges or matters: two counts of providing false information to the passport office in Dublin on dates in February 2015 and between January and February 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Case subjects

John Power

Defendant

Charges: two counts of providing false information to the passport office in Dublin on dates in February 2015 and between January and February 2016 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Handing down a suspended three-and-a-half year sentence, Judge Pauline Codd noted medical evidence before the court that shows Power suffered a stroke a number of years ago and has since struggled with memory loss issues. She suspended the sentence on a number of conditions.

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Incident

Topics

Stage Sentence

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