A Mercedes driver who had a forged Albanian licence and no insurance has been jailed for three months.

Sending Armir Dyrmishaj down for 12 weeks, Judge Peter Crabtree said: “You were not insured and you put innocent road users at risk.”

Swindon Crown Court heard the 27-year-old was stopped on County Road on December 1 last year after police saw his 2005-plate Mercedes CLK being driven erratically.

Dyrmishaj passed a breath test. But a check of the police national computer system revealed he was not the owner of the Mercedes nor was he insured to drive the vehicle.

Suspicions were also raised by the man’s appearance; despite his immigration status preventing him from being allowed to work he was dressed in designer clothing and had an iPhone 10.

Taken to Gablecross police station, officers found almost £300 cash on him and a fake Albanian driving licence.

Dyrmishaj, of Broadlands Avenue, Enfield, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to possession of a false identity document and driving without insurance or a licence.

Tony Bignall, defending, said his client had no previous convictions. The court had previously heard the defendant had fled to the UK after crime gangs tried to recruit him into working for them in Albania. He was in the process of seeking asylum and was living with an aunt and uncle.

Since being picked up by police he had applied for a provisional driving licence but had been rejected. He was hopeful of his future prospects.

However, Judge Crabtree said he was unimpressed that the man, who had not previously mentioned having a partner, told the probation service he could be curfewed at his girlfriend’s house after his uncle said he couldn’t be tagged to his Enfield home. He said there was little evidence of remorse.

The judge said: “While it is important that you did not show or use your driving licence when stopped by PC Williams, it is plain not least from your plea that you acquired it to provide some kind of cover.”

And he added: “It is an aggravating feature that you appear to have travelled regularly to Swindon to see friends and that you were driving erratically that night such as to attract the attention of the police.”

Dyrmishaj was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail and his driving record endorsed with six penalty points.