Courts / Dublin / Report
Civil servant who forged driver licences avoids jail
Summary
Lynne Adderley, a former civil servant at a Dublin Motor Tax Office, pleaded guilty to five counts of making false instruments for forging driver licences for Albanian and Italian nationals between 1 October 2008 and 1 April 2010. The forging involved reusing certificates of competency from genuine test‑passers and attaching them to applications from drivers who surrendered their foreign licences, which were not forwarded to the Road Safety Authority but were still issued replacement Irish licences. An internal audit uncovered the scheme. Adderley was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan to a three‑year suspended sentence, with the judge noting that she had betrayed public trust but was "very lucky" not to go to jail. The judge also highlighted the impact on her career and personal life, while noting the broader implications of white‑collar crime for public services.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Civil servant who forged driver licences avoids jail. Charges or matters: five counts of making false instruments between October 1 2008 and April 1 2010 at the Motor Tax Office, Ballymun Road, Ballymun, Dublin. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 1 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 1 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 18 Other
- 2015-04-28 Publication
Why: " Gda Ronan McMorrow told prosecuting counsel Garett McCormack, BL, the issue came to light because of an internal audit in the Motor Tax Office. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: five counts of making false instruments between October 1 2008 and April 1 2010 at the Motor Tax Office, Ballymun Road, Ballymun, Dublin (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Martin Nolan gave her a three year suspended sentence and said Adderley was a "very lucky lady not to be going to jail" as she had betrayed the public's trust. Judge Nolan said he did not believe Adderley's story that she was under pressure from her then partner Altin Meci, a Kosovo-born chip shop owner who was given a two year suspended sentence in relation to the forgeries on March 18.
Places mentioned
- Scribblestown Place
- Rathoath Road
- Dublin
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Ballymun Road
Topics
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