A MAN who was caught driving on Anglesey after being deported from the UK claimed he thought his deportation order had expired.

Paul Flynn was stopped while driving a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) on the A55 in Gaerwen on October 8, having been deported to Ireland in June 2006.

Today (November 13), Flynn, 58, of Castle Park, Ashbourne, Meath, Ireland, was jailed for four months at Caernarfon Crown Court (sitting at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court), having admitted breaching his deportation order.

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Prosecutor Elen Owen said that, in June 1995, Flynn was convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin at Woolwich Crown Court, which led to the deportation order being issued.

He unsuccessfully appealed this order, leading to him being deported 11 years later – a later attempt from Flynn to have it revoked also failed.

In 2015, at Blackfriars Crown Court, Flynn was jailed for 10 years for offences relating to class A drugs.

Flynn was released in 2020 having served half of his sentence in custody, but last month, was caught driving the HGV on the A55.

He said he was working for a haulage company as a long-distance lorry driver, and had been regularly travelling to and from Ireland to carry out deliveries.

When interviewed by police, he said he thought the order had long since finished, and usually came into the UK in the course of his employment “about twice a week”.

Defending Flynn, who had nine previous convictions for 25 offences, Richard Edwards said he had worked as a binman in London, where his wife lives, following his 2020 release, with “no issues or problems”.

Mr Edwards added: “He isn’t entering the country with a view to remain or work illegally. He simply entered the country thinking the deportation order was no longer in place.

“He’s simply a man who wants to return to his home address in Ireland, and return to his work as soon as he possibly can.”

Sentencing, Judge Nicola Jones told Flynn: “I do accept this is a case of genuine mistake on your part.

“Having said that, the onus was on you to make sure whether the deportation order was in place or not in place.”