Man caught dangerous driving in Cork had undergone fake driving test in France

A man caught dangerous driving by a Garda who happened to be travelling behind him on the way to work was also in possession of a false French drivers licence, having been duped into undertaking a fake drivers test in that country.

Abdelhak Soussa had two children as rear seat passengers - only one of whom was in a seatbelt - when he was observed overtaking two cars ahead of a blind bend and over a continuous white line at 6.40pm on May 10 last year near Macroom.

The incident was observed by a Garda who was a front seat passenger in the car directly behind Mr Soussa’s vehicle. He had been on the way to work and he contacted his colleagues who then intercepted Mr Soussa’s car.

In the vehicle were three backseat passengers, including Mr Soussa’s wife. At the time Mr Sousa told gardaí he had bought the car two weeks previously and it was not insured.

Judge James McNulty also heard that the drivers licence produced by Mr Soussa was not valid. His solicitor, Killian McCarthy, told the court that his client, who is originally from Algeria, had been a refugee in France and had paid an Algerian support group “a hefty price” to get a driving test to then secure a French driver’s licence.

However, Mr McCarthy said that in retrospect it did not appear that Mr Soussa had sat a proper driving test, adding that his client had been “potentially naive”.

Mr McCarthy said Mr Soussa had also been in the UK for a number of years where he had been the victim of a very serious assault and where his brother had also been killed.

That had prompted the move by him and his family to Ireland, the court heard.

Ms McCarthy said Mr Soussa, who now lives in refugee accommodation at Riverside Park in Macroom, had shown a good work ethic and was been employed in construction, warehousing, and was now working in Lidl.

The court heard that Mr Soussa had seven previous convictions, including two for driving with no insurance in icidents that occurred after the incident in this case.

Mr McCarthy said his client realised he faced a long period of disqualification from driving, as Judge McNulty convicted him and fined him €600.