Courts / Dublin / Report

Asylum seeker caught after using false ID when arrested and charged with theft, court hears

Date
2015-03-27

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In March 2015, Aziz Kaiwa, a 24‑year‑old asylum seeker from Western Sahara, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five counts of possessing a false document without lawful excuse between January and September 2013. The fake ID bore Kaiwa's photo but used the name of French DCU student Thibaut Pawlisiak, whose identity card had been stolen. Kaiwa used the card to pass himself off as Pawlisiak on several occasions, including when stopped by Gardaí on 6 April 2013 and when treated for injuries at St James' Hospital on 23 April 2013. He was arrested for a separate mobile‑phone theft on 28 September 2013, presented the fake ID, and was taken into custody. Judge Patricia Ryan dismissed the sentence, applied the Probation Act, and ordered Kaiwa to keep the peace for six months, meaning he does not receive a criminal conviction.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Asylum seeker caught after using false ID when arrested and charged with theft, court hears. Charges or matters: five counts of possession of a false document without lawful excuse at various locations in Dublin between January 27 and September 28, 2013. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

January 27 Incident
September 28, 2013 Incident
April 6 Incident
April 23, 2013 Incident
2015-03-27 Publication

Case subjects

Aziz Kaiwa

Defendant

Charges: five counts of possession of a false document without lawful excuse at various locations in Dublin between January 27 and September 28, 2013 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge Patricia Ryan dismissed the sentence and applied the Probation Act due to the 'very unusual circumstances' of the case and ordered Kaiwa to keep the peace for six months.