A professional HGV driver who tried to use a false Polish licence to work has been jailed for eight months.
Wieslaw Jozef Gruca (51) tried to obtain a counterpart for a British driving licence from the DVLA in Swansea after sending them a false driving licence which he received from his native Poland.
Gruca was convicted of possessing a false driving document after a trial at Lincoln Crown Court in January.
Following the trial Gruca was remanded in custody after he was unable to produce his passport at Spalding police station because it was still in Poland.
The court heard Gruca, formerly of Milestone Lane, Pinchbeck, was banned from driving for 20 months in 2012 after he tried to drive through Spalding town centre while drunk.
Edna Leonard, prosecuting, said attempts had been made to see if Gruca had any other convictions in his homeland but there had been no response from the Polish authorities.
Andrew Cogan, mitigating, said Gruca only had one previous conviction for driving with excess alcohol while living in the UK.
Mr Cogan told the court: “He accepts the driving document was clearly false.
“He has asked me to express his remorse, and understands he should not have done what happened.”
Passing sentence Judge John Pini QC told Gruca there was no alternative to prison.
Judge Pini said: “You received from Poland a driving licence. You sent it off in order to get a counterpart British driving licence in order to drive in this country.
“That form was received in Swansea.
“It is a serious matter, even though it was your intention to work, because this country now has a large number of people from the EU living and working here, and if they are tempted to use false documents the court has to pass immediate custodial sentences.”
