A MELKSHAM teenager has failed to pull the wool over the eyes of police when he presented them with a forged one-day car insurance document at the police station last winter.

Mohammed Uddin, 19, had been pulled over by police on February 7 of this year, and when he could not produce a valid insurance document, was told to report to the police station to hand it in.

But rather than admit he held no car insurance Uddin, of Sarum Street, forged a one day insurance certificate for the day in question, which immediately raised alarm bells from police staff.

Enquiries later showed Uddin had faked the document, and on Wednesday he admitted one count of fraud by false representation at a police station in order to avoid paying insurance.

Prosecutor Anna Humphries told Swindon magistrates: “A police officer had stopped the defendant driving a motor vehicle for a particular reason on February 7 this year, and asked him to produce documents for his insurance.

“Told he did not have any with him, the officer was unable to ring the insurance company, so told him to produce the documents at the nearest police station.

“When he [Uddin] does so he produces a certificate, and staff were immediately suspicious because it had started that same day and was due to finish the next day.

“They checked with the insurance company, who confirmed it was a false document.

“In terms of previous matters, he has convictions for robbery and attempted robbery from February of this year, for which he was given a suspended prison sentence and an unpaid work requirement.”

Mark Glendenning, defending, asked that the bench do not ban Uddin from the roads for what was a ‘stupid’ decision.

“A one-day insurance policy is not uncommon, and every single day people have the need for one day cover,” he said. “The insurance company have subsequently confirmed Mr Uddin has previously taken out one day policies. For whatever reason he did not have a policy on that day, and he fully accepts that now.

“He is a man who is actively self-employed, and at the time he had no previous convictions, but was subsequently sentenced for totally unrelated matters by the Crown Court.

“The value is less than £2,500 and the harm is minimal. Stupidity, certainly, but I would ask you do not disqualify him, as his work requires him to travel across the country.”

Uddin was banned from driving for two weeks and made to carry out an additional 120 hours of unpaid work to the 50 outstanding from his previous sentence. He must also pay £85 prosecution costs and a £60 victim surcharge.