Apparently he’s a bit gullible!
Interesting that psychiatrists were involved.

BBC

Also gullible enough to believe he’d get away with speeding on so many occasions despite a long history of getting caught…

Interesting that psychiatrists were involved.

No not when you consider his condition.

I’ve read he has Asperger’s before.

Who knows if it’s just a tale of how people who are wired slightly differently can get suckered in, or how someone with a lot of money can pay a lot of fancy Solicitors to bend the truth to get him out of a sticky situation.

I wonder how the ‘scam’ worked. is it a well known thing, buying an Irish license and then applying for a UK equivalent one.

Does he currently have any valid licence then?

surely you’d know if you’d taken an Irish HGV test.

Or the case was that weak it was dropped?

Who knows?

One question isb does he now have a hgv license or does he need to do the test?

I read it as he doesn’t have a valid HGV license and will need to take the test if he wants to drive them.

Looks like has a valid UK license for other stuff, but without the HGV entitlement. He thought he’d taken the Irish HGV test and had that entitlement on a separate Irish license, but it looks like that was a scam and hence he’d been driving HGVs illegally in NI. I think he’d submitted the Irish license to the DVLA in good faith to have the HGV entitlement added to his UK license, and ended up on the naughty step because he didn’t know it was a fake.

surely you’d know if you’d taken an Irish HGV test.

Sure, you’d have driven that little van for hours of practicing. 😉

(For the avoidance of doubt – Yes, that was a cheap shot Irish joke. I’ll get my coat…)

Drac

Subscriber
Interesting that psychiatrists were involved.

No not when you consider his condition.

You mean his condition as in Autism or Aspergers?
I still do not understand the need for psychiatrists to be involved though. Care to explain why you feel a psychiatrist would be involved??

Nowadays these two conditions come within the ASD diagnoses. From the TV shows I have seen of him I would never have guessed he had the previous diagnoses of High Functioning Autism or Aspergers.

You mean his condition as in Autism or Aspergers?
I still do not understand the need for psychiatrists to be involved though. Care to explain why you feel a psychiatrist would be involved??

Yes the Aspergers. It’s a court case they’d be used as a professional to explain how Aspergers can affect people’s judgement on rights and wrongs.

From the TV shows I have seen of him I would never have guessed he had the previous diagnoses of High Functioning Autism or Aspergers.

Exactly why they’d be brought in to explain the condition to jury.

From the TV shows I have seen of him I would never have guessed he had the previous diagnoses of High Functioning Autism or Aspergers.

Weird that, what with you not having met him and, I assume, not being a trained professional.

someone with a lot of money can pay a lot of fancy Solicitors to bend the truth to get him out of a sticky situation.

Normally I’d think this but I’m not sure he’s got a lot of money.

I expect the issue is that fake paper gets you into a world of pain and it’s not just sorry this isn’t valid situation.

£5,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

Exactly why they’d be brought in to explain the condition to jury.

Also to establish if his diagnosis, if he has one, is accurate. ASD is a broad spectrum disorder, one person’s traits will not be the same as another, and how those traits affect their personality.

Precisely.

The Daaily Fail website comments section on this is comedy gold as usual 🙂

He’s lucky that he had access to clever lawyers and through that psychologists. I don’t imagine that the normal bloke on the street, ASD or otherwise, would have managed to wangle this defence. If it’s true he genuinely thought the license was real (and submission to the DVLA would suggest he did) then I’m glad for him. Highlights the failings of our two tier justice system though.

mooman

Member

From the TV shows I have seen of him I would never have guessed he had the previous diagnoses of High Functioning Autism or Aspergers.

About 20 seconds after I met him I was thinking aspergersish tbh… I’m not a professional but I’ve spent enough time working with ASD young people to have a pretty good eye.

But the reason I totally buy this explanation, isn’t really that diagnosis- it’s that I’ve seen how he sort of convinces himself how things are, in real time. I’ve met people who think he’s basically dishonest- his version of events changes a lot, and he’ll leap from one position to the next, or be 100% convinced of something that he couldn’t possibly know, like “my mechanic didn’t put the chain link on right”, was one from the TT IIRC. It’d be easy to think “bullshitter” or “excuses excuses”.

But I saw him in the endurance dh, where he got 2 flats and DNFd basically because he was pissed off, to 4 hours later where he told me he’d destroyed his wheel so couldn’t possibly ride on, and also that he’d injured himself in a crash. Neither thing happened but that was the version of events that was taking root in his head. And then that same injury which never happened came up again when he had a bad day in Macao (er, probably Macao). But everyone buys it in person, because he buys it too.

(everyone does that- who really tells a story the same 10 years on as they did the day after? But I’ve never seen anyone do it so fast)

tomhoward

Subscriber
From the TV shows I have seen of him I would never have guessed he had the previous diagnoses of High Functioning Autism or Aspergers.

Weird that, what with you not having met him and, I assume, not being a trained professional.

I assess people week in week out with diagnoses of Autism, Aspergers and ASD. So you assumed wrong; I am a trained professional.
Whilst only ever watched his programs, which admittedly is not a great source to make a confident judgement .. only a guess. I have never picked up on any of the traits typically demonstrated by vulnerable persons with ASD in Guy Martin.

Bringing in Psychiatrists seems a bit OTT. ASD is a developmental disorder, not a mental health disorder. And whilst Psychiatrists can make the diagnosis – they are typically involved when there is a mental health concern that needs meds.
Typically doctors trained in child development or psychologists who hold that particular area of expertise are best placed to assess level/functioning.

Bringing in Psychiatrists seems a bit OTT.

When he was potentially looking at

£5,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

I don’t think it was. Whatever works to convince the judge was the right thing to do.

From the TV shows I have seen of him I would never have guessed he had the previous diagnoses of High Functioning Autism or Aspergers.

I would agree with you there. But since having a child diagnosed with autism, and looking back at his previous programmes, it explains a lot about his behaviours.
I find him quite an inspiration and will use him as a role model for my son as he grows up. Its good to know that you can get to the top of your game , and go on to have a successful career, whilst being a likeable character ( some find him a bit marmite – GM that is not my boy 😁)

Bringing in Psychiatrists seems a bit OTT. ASD is a developmental disorder, not a mental health disorder.

Psychiatrists also work with behavioural and development conditions.

https://www.autism.org.uk/about/diagnosis/professionals-involved.aspx

Bringing in Psychiatrists seems a bit OTT.

When he was potentially looking at

£5,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

I don’t think it was. Whatever works to convince the judge was the right thing to do.

For his situation.

If you have the means and the time and someone else to proceed on your behalf, then yes whatever works to convince the siting judge was the right thing to do.

Psychiatrists are often involved where there are behavioural issues or mental health difficulties, and are able to prescribe and monitor medication

isnt that what I previously wrote?

just to clarify. I enjoy Guy Martins various programs. One of the most typical signs of people with ASD is them being a `bit odd’, however aside from Guy Martins silly sounding accent … he never struck me as anything other than a normal guy, just crazy on two wheels!

Ah right pretty much sorry. So shouldn’t be a real shock to you to find it was used in defence case.

He always struck me as someone with some sort of condition as he appears very compulsive and obsessive his projects.

Obsessive and compulsive kinda describe a pretty common mental health condition of OCD. Although people with ASD can have it … its not something which identifies ASD.

The ridiculously infectious and entertaining enthusiasm for stuff that makes him so popular is hardly a common trait in the general population; I’m not surprised that he’s somewhere on the spectrum and I’m glad; it highlights that people on the spectrum haven’t got a ‘disorder’ or an illness, but that they can have all sorts of great skills to bring to the party. Good for him.

Edit; just read that back and I’m sorry if it comes across as patronising to anyone who is or has relatives on the spectrum. I just think he’s a great entertainer 👍🏼

Obsessive and compulsive kinda describe a pretty common mental health condition of OCD. Although people with ASD can have it … its not something which identifies ASD.

Like I said seemed to have some form of condition I wasn’t sure what though. However, I wasn’t surprised to hear it was autism though.

If he thought he did the test in Northern Ireland then it’s fairly straight forward as its the same test and procedure as in any other part of the UK.

If he thought he did the test in Northern Ireland then it’s fairly straight forward as its the same test and procedure as in any other part of the UK

If I’m understanding it correctly, people are running fake driving test centres in northern Ireland and issuing fake licences???

All the test centres are DVLA Centres, also where all our vehicle testing is carried out as we don’t have independant MOT centres/garages doing it. Seems an unusual excuse.

I was glad when I saw this, he’s one of the most genuine nice guys I’ve ever met (joined us in the pub when we told him where we were heading while doing he was doing some TV stuff in Loughborough)

We all commented afterwards how nice he was and how it came across that he genuinely wanted to listen to us all and even tried to organise to come mtbing with a few of us the next day (before he was told that he had to be elsewhere the next day)

I know he’s a bit of a wildcard with speeding etc but I struggled to believe he’d try to decieve someone! This explanation makes much more sense in my head

It says he was working in Northern Ireland, doesn’t say he took / passed the test in NI.

His other half is from the south so could have been done there – in the south it won’t be linked to DVLA / UK test centres and it’s easy to drive over the boarder.

If I’m understanding it correctly, people are running fake driving test centres in northern Ireland and issuing fake licences???

I thought this but can’t find any online evidence of such.
But it seems to be a thing with gullible people being sold the “real thing” just pay a bit more to cut out the fuss. Although this guy’s defense wasn’t believed.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/lorry-driver-tried-to-avoid-driving-test-by-buying-licence-for-150-in-a-pub-court-told-1.178140

And you can buy liscenses online without it being made clear they are worthless fakes. Although the web site name gives you a clue.

http://www.buyrealfakepassport.cc/ireland-drivers-license-online

I agree with moomam, taxi jnr has an Aspergers diagnosis and watching GM on tv I didn’t get a sense of it. Although it can display very differently from person to person.

I am a trained professional.

You’ve hidden that quite well. I’d have never guessed from your posts that you’d ever had any kind of professional training. Well done.

Presumably he thought he’d taken a test with someone – perhaps they rocked up at the yard he was working at & looked/sounded genuine.
Took him out said well done and sent him a license.

If he knew it was fake he’d be pretty stupid to send it to the DVLA to get the entitlement transferred over.

As for having loads of cash I don’t think he’s short of a bob or two – but reading his books he seems to prefer being paid in ‘things’ – like his tractor and rolling road set up.

Guessing it’s probably North One covering his legal bills.

I agree with moomam, taxi jnr has an Aspergers diagnosis and watching GM on tv I didn’t get a sense of it. Although it can display very differently from person to person.

I have aspergers (well that is what is used to be called) and I wouldn’t have guessed either. He is far too friendly/familiar with people but then as you say everyone is different. I have most of the traits but very much don’t have the lack of sense of humour or lack of ability to tell when others are being serious.

deadlydarcy

Member
I am a trained professional.

You’ve hidden that quite well. I’d have never guessed from your posts that you’d ever had any kind of professional training. Well done

Thank you for saying👍

Although the compliment feels somewhat hollow considering you typically reply to posts on STW you know nothing about.

Whilst everyone is arguing what disorder he may or may not have, I’ll just repeat what v8ninety had to say:

He’s lucky that he had access to clever lawyers and through that psychologists. I don’t imagine that the normal bloke on the street, ASD or otherwise, would have managed to wangle this defence. If it’s true he genuinely thought the license was real (and submission to the DVLA would suggest he did) then I’m glad for him. Highlights the failings of our two tier justice system though.

Money talks. In this case very convincingly.

I find what mooman says odd – to me its obvious he has strong autistic traits