A judge heard at a sitting of the District Court in Co Monaghan yesterday how a major motor insurance scam was being operated along the Border.
Persons purporting to be salespeople representing a Northern-based insurance company are offering "car cover" policies during door-to-door visits at housing estates.
Judge Seán MacBride was told at a sitting in Castleblayney by Ms Ciara McCully how she had purchased one of the policies after experiencing difficulty getting cover in the Republic. However, it turned out to be a "dud".
Ms McCully, with an address at Bree, Castleblayney, said she bought the insurance cover from a "saleswoman" on the understanding that it was genuine. She said she did not realise there was anything wrong with the certificate until she was stopped by gardaí on April 28th last.
Garda Mark Gaynor, of the Monaghan Garda Traffic Unit, who discovered the certificate was bogus, said he was satisfied Ms McCully believed she was fully covered, and she had co-operated with gardaí.
Judge McBride dismissed the insurance charge.