Jail for illegal immigrant caught using bogus driving licence
An illegal immigrant from Ukraine, living in Fife, was caught using a Romanian driver’s licence he had bought over the internet.
When stopped by police, Oleksandr Vhobvskyi produced the bogus licence.
He had also been drinking-driving but refused to take the breath test.
Vhobvskyi (24), of Drum Road, Kelty, appeared from custody at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
He previously admitted that on 27th January at Park Street, Lochgelly, he stated to police officers that he was Alexandru Radu and attempted to pervert the course of justice.
He also admitted he drove without a licence and without insurance.
He further admitted that on 28th January at Dunfermline police station he failed to provide breath specimens for testing.
The court was told Vhobvskyi had bought the Romania driving licence on the internet.
Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison said his client was engaged to be married to a Latvian woman living in Fife having met her on-line when he was still in the Ukraine.
He went on, “She is here legally and is at college. He made an application to the UK for a visa to come here but it was refused.
“He then travelled here illegally and has been in Fife for two years living with his fiancee.”
They were due to be married last week but Vhobvskyi had been arrested by then.
The solicitor added that the Home Office had been aware of his presence in the UK but there was “no confirmation if it was a sham marriage”.
The sheriff pointed out that what he was concerned about was the fact Vhobvskyi was driving about with a Romanian licence in someone else’s name.
“Whether it was in pursuit of true love, we don’t know. He does not know what will happen to him deportation-wise,” said Mr Morrison.
The couple had set a new date for the wedding at the end of March.
“If the marriage goes ahead, he plans to make another application to stay in the country,” added the solicitor.
“He says he bought the vehicle for £400 to £500 and it was registered in a false name. On this occasion he was using the vehicle to visit a friend in a nearby village. He is quite candid in saying he had been drinking.”
Sheriff Alastair Brown told Vhobvskyi, “I’m told you bought the fake driving licence on the internet. In other words, you had set up a fake identity using a document from a country where you were not a citizen.”
He jailed Vhobvskyi for eight months and banned him from driving for a year.
