Gardaí catch 'budding artist' with pathetic forgery as 'dangerously defective' car seized

Gardaí have seized a dangerously defective car after spotting a forged NCT certificate by a "budding artist".

The driver of the 2005 Volkswagen Beetle had attempted to pass off the car as having a valid three-year NCT, which doesn't exist, by poorly altering the expired 2023 disc to 2025 in a bid to avoid detection. 

During the roadside inspection in Gorey earlier this month, eagle-eyed gardaí quickly spotted the fake NCT cert and a closer look revealed why the car hadn't passed its test. 

Gardaí found "extensive corrosion" on the body of the car, with a photo of the underside of car showing badly corroded sills. 

In a post on social media shared by An Garda Síochána, officers joked that the driver was a "budding artist", but warned that forgery is no laughing matter. 

"This budding artist decided to tamper with an NCT certificate, causing Gardaí to seize the car on the discovery the NCT expired in 2023.

"Upon inspection at the roadside in Gorey earlier this month, it became clear the driver had altered the expiration date on the disc in an attempt to deceive. Unfortunately for them, the reason the ‘05 VW Beetle didn’t hold a valid NCT was soon obvious — extensive corrosion was found on the body of the car," gardaí added. 

"Forging or altering official documents is a criminal offence and can lead to prosecution. Driving a dangerously defective vehicle puts lives at risk — including your own, your passengers, and other road users."

The car was seized on the spot with the driver now facing court proceedings.

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