A man described as a 'Walter Mitty-type character' by police has appeared at Derry Magistrates' Court charged with a number of fraud and driving offences including making false declarations Access NI.
Gareth Sharkey (27), of Gortscreagan Road in Claudy, who has previous convictions for stalking, harassment and perverting the course of justice in relation to a former partner, was charged with, amongst other charges, fraud and possession of articles in connection to fraud.
On February 25 this year, police received a call from a driver that an ambulance driver was speeding and driving dangerously, leading to the person having to take evasive action to avoid a rear-end collision.
The ambulance was caught on video with it's licence plate visible and the ambulance was later located parked outside a house for a number of weeks.
It was found to be owned by Sharkey who claimed that it belonged to his boss and was only parked there because of a gearbox issue.
Police checked records and found the last owner of the ambulance was an auction house in England and, after trying to contact Sharkey's boss, found that he did not exist.
When questioned, his partner admitted to taking him to collect the vehicle.
Police also said that they had been contacted earlier in the week by a woman concerned about her partner as she hadn't seen him in over 24 hours.
The woman said that she and Sharkey, her partner, were due to go on holiday next week.
She also said that she had been sitting with him in the ambulance for two hours on the same day as the dangerous driving incident until he claimed he received a blue light call and had to go.
When questioned, Sharkey denied any knowledge of any of the charges, including the earlier case of perverting the course of justice.
Police later searched his property and found a number of ambulance uniforms, police caps, armoured vests, replica police weapons and a number of fraudulent Access NI certificates.
The police equipment, Sharkey's barrister claimed, had been obtained as his client had previously been training to be a police officer.
However a police officer told the court that such equipment was not given out during training and it had been discovered Sharkey had not declared his previous convictions when applying to the PSNI.
In regards to the fraudulent certificates, police found that Sharkey had removed any mention of the stalking and assault charges and police have so far contacted three of the eight companies he was alleged to have lied to.
Sharkey was previously bailed to his father's address in Claudy but police discovered that the two hadn't lived together in six years.
The proposed bail address was with one of his current partners, a woman who is alleged to have contacted the injured party from the earlier stalking case.
Police objected to bail as they said Sharkey is 'a Walter Mitty-type' with 'no concept of the truth'.
They said that he was involved in three relationships before being made aware of a fourth when his partner contacted police out of concern for his well being ahead of their holiday.
The court was then told that this fourth relationship is now over after police disclosed information of Sharkey's prior convictions and other relationships.
He was also said to be applying for a gun licence that has since been stopped by police.
Defence Barrister Stephen McNicholl said that the presumption of innocence applies with any case, telling the court that Sharkey has a 'limited record'.
He said that the evidence is mostly based on conjecture and said that there is 'no direct evidence'.
District Judge Oonagh Mullan called the case 'one of the strangest' she's ever seen and denied bail.
He will appear again on May 7.
