Grantham woman jailed for using fake document to get a driving licence
A Grantham woman who used a fake document in a bid to obtain a UK driving licence was today jailed at Lincoln Crown Court.
Li Hua Lomas, 40, of Shaw Road, submitted a false Spanish driving licence when she applied to the DVLA for a licence.
Laura Pittman, prosecuting, said that Lomas believed she could exchange the Spanish licence for a UK licence.
The Spanish licence she submitted was checked out and found to be false.
Miss Pittman said: "She submitted a form to the DVLA saying to them that she had passed her driving test in Spain and enclosed with her application form a Spanish driving licence.
"The DVLA looked at the Spanish driving licence and they immediately came to the view that it was a false driving licence."
Miss Pittman added that Lomas had attempted to obtain a full UK licence but failed her theory test and did not pursue the matter.
Lomas told police that she read in a Chinese language newspaper that she could exchange her Chinese licence for a Spanish licence.
Miss Pittman said: "She says she paid £200 to a company in London who sent her a Spanish driving licence. She then thought she could exchange that for a UK licence. That is what she intended to do."
The court was told that Lomas legitimately held a provisional UK licence but had three convictions for motoring offences which the final one resulting in her receiving a six month ban.
Lomas admitted a charge of possession of a false Spanish driving licence on 21 June 2016 with improper intention. She was jailed for five months.
Judge John Pini QC, passing sentence, told Lomas: "The offence I have to deal with you for is a serious one. These offences attract short but immediate custodial sentence."
Chris Milligan, in mitigation, said that Lomas arrived in the UK in 2004 and married here later the same year. "She has a hard working attitude. She held down two jobs for 13 years. She had a job in a local pub working the evening shift as a cook and she worked at a roadside cafe on the morning shift.
"Her relationship got into difficulties and they divorced but her husband is still supportive of her. She bitterly regrets what happened."
