A man who used a forged Transport Control Department (TCD) car licence contradicted his original story before pleading guilty in Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Cromwell Manders, 53, of St. John's Road, Pembroke, was charged with using a false TCD licence between March 9 and 12.

The court heard from Crown counsel Nicole Smith on March 9, Police saw the defendant driving a blue Suzuki wagon travelling east. He sped up and drove through an amber light. Police followed him out of Paget and into Pembroke where they pulled him over.

The vehicle was unlicensed and uninsured. Officers noticed a forged TCD licence in the window of the car.

Manders was arrested and taken to the Hamilton Police Station. When asked where the licence came from, he said: "My computer, I made it on my computer."

In his explanation to the court, the defendant contradicted that statement, however, by saying someone else put the licence in the car.

"I have a young man who cleans my car. He got over-zealous and saw the licence was expired and replaced it for me, thought he was doing me a favour," Manders said.

Manders was fined $500 — half the price to licence his vehicle at TCD.