Newcastle star Tiote escapes jail for driving with fake licence Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote has been spared jail despite admitting to driving with a fake licence. The Ivory Coast international was handed a seven month suspended sentence after pleading guilty at Newcastle Crown Court. Tiote spent 15,000 euros (£12,809) on a fake Belgian licence and then tried to use that help push through his application for a real British one with the DVLA in Swansea. The licence was a very good forgery but there were a number of features that showed it was a forgery, said prosecutor Tony Hawks. The offence is aggravated by what he has done as he sought to change base metal into gold. Judge James Goss QC suspended the imprisonment for 18 months and told Tiote he would have to complete 180 hours of community service work. I give you credit for your plea of guilty, which has saved you from an immediate sentence of imprisonment, he said. In that way you will be punished and I have no doubt that, using your considerable talent, you will be able to assist others in the community by encouraging them and passing on your skills that way.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 13:09:07 +0000