Man pleads guilty to deception offences after seeking Irish passport

A judge has ordered a probation report on a 64-year-old man after he pleaded guilty to three counts of deception after he falsely claimed to be the biological father of a child who was applying for an Irish passport.

Judge Mary Dorgan said it was a serious matter as it involved three different offences on three separate occasions and at different locations. She said she wanted the benefit of a probation report on the accused who had no previous convictions.

The judge ordered at an earlier hearing that the man not be identified as it could lead to the identification of the child.

Pat Horan, solicitor for the accused, told Cork District Court that his client was pleading guilty to charges including that he provided false information at the Civil Registration Office, Adelaide Street, Cork on July 29th, 2009 regarding a claim that he was the biological father of a seven-month-old boy.

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He also pleaded guilty to two deception charges related to providing false information at Watercourse Road Garda station in Cork on July 29th, 2009, and again at Anglesea Street Garda station in Cork on June 30th, 2012, in relation to passport applications for the child.

Det Garda Mark Hennebry, of Garda National Immigration Bureau, said the child was born in late 2008 to non-national parents who had not long arrived in Ireland to study. No details were entered in the hospital record to identify the child’s father after he was born, but the accused – who was not the father – attended at the Civil Registration Office on July 29th, 2009 to register the birth.

Det Hennebry said the man had made declarations despite knowing “he could not be the father” and later the same day attended at his local Garda station having obtained the Irish birth certificate to make a false passport application for the boy.

He said the third charge related to a subsequent application for the renewal of a passport for the child.

The witness said the accused had “co-operated fully” with the investigation and there was no evidence of him gaining financially or otherwise as a result of his actions.

Mr Horan said his client had made full and frank admissions when interviewed by gardaí. He said the man put himself forward as the child’s father as it was his understanding that if the boy’s mother went back to her home country, she would not be allowed to return to Ireland.

“He felt sorry for this young woman who had a baby. He was thinking of the child. There was no relationship with the mother – sexual or otherwise,” Mr Horan said.

“He suffered significant mental health issues since this has come to light. It has been hanging over him since January last. It is something he did out of concern and support for another person. As unusual as the case is, he did not benefit in any way and he deeply apologises for what happened.”

Judge Mary Dorgan acknowledged the man’s guilty plea and the fact he had no previous convictions.

“It is clearly very, very, serious – a number of different occurrences over different periods of time… I am going to look for a probation report,” she said, adjourning the matter to May 1st.

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