Courts

Man (64) given suspended sentence for pretending to be child’s father in order to obtain Irish passport

Court told defendant acted out of kindness with defence counsel insisting no money or sexual promises offered

Judge Mary Dorgan said the accused acted out of kindness but his actions had ultimately 'facilitated' the woman in getting an Irish passport. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien
Judge Mary Dorgan said the accused acted out of kindness but his actions had ultimately 'facilitated' the woman in getting an Irish passport. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien
Olivia Kelleher
Wed May 01 2024 - 18:25

A man has received an eight month suspended sentence and a €500 fine for pretending to be the biological father of a baby to help the child obtain an Irish birth certificate and passport.

Cork District Court heard the man’s partner knew the child’s mother and often visited her house. The woman told the defendant she would not be allowed back into Ireland if she returned to her home country.

Judge Mary Dorgan said the 64-year-old acted out of kindness and had been honest in his evidence. However, she said his actions had ultimately “facilitated” the woman in getting an Irish passport. “The knock on effect (of the mother getting an Irish passport) was quite extraordinary, enabling her to bring other members of her family to the country as a result.”

The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the child, pleaded guilty to providing false information at the Civil Registration Office, Adelaide Street, Cork on July 29th, 2009. He also pleaded guilty to two deception charges related to providing false information in relation to passport applications for the child at Cork garda stations in 2009 and 2012.

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Det Garda Mark Hennebry, of the Garda National Immigration Bureau, told the trial that the child was born in 2008 to foreign national parents who had not long arrived in Ireland to study.

No name was recorded for the father when the child was in hospital. However, he said in on July 29th 2009, the accused presented at the Civil Registration Officer to register the birth. Det Hennebry told Judge Dorgan the man made the declarations despite being fully aware that he could not be the child’s father. He said the man obtained the Irish birth certificate for the child and attended his local garda station to make a false passport application for the boy.

William Bulman BL, for the man, said there was no suggestion of his client being in receipt of any money or sexual promises arising out of his actions. He said that the man had made full and frank admissions and was “deeply remorseful”. He said his client was a “vulnerable” man who acted out of a misplaced sense of kindness.