Joseph Bharrat, 19, who was arraigned last Friday on charges of forging a driver’s licence, was on Monday ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 or spend three months in prison.
Bharrat on Friday told acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry that he forged the licence to earn a living as a driver, in order to provide for his mother and two younger brothers. He was subsequently remanded to prison until yesterday for sentencing. The young man accepted that on March 10, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he forged a driver’s licence, numbered ADW-28. He also admitted that with intent to defraud, he uttered to a police constable driver’s licence numbered ADW-28, purporting to show that he was a licensed driver, knowing same to be forged.
The teen was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine for each charge or spend three months in prison.
He was granted seven days to pay the fine.
The defendant explained to the court that he had dropped out of school to support himself, his mother and two younger brothers as the sole breadwinner of the family. He added that they have a mortgage to pay.
The young man, who resides at 94 Third Street, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, said that when he left school, a job as a driver was the only opening he was able to secure and at the time he was too young to have obtained a licence the legal way.
