A man who admitted forging Covid-19 test certificates, including one that allowed Boyzone star Keith Duffy to travel to the UK for a performance during lockdown, is to be assessed for community service.
Jamie Fernandez Corrigan, 33, pleaded guilty to creating and distributing 22 fake PCR certificates in the summer of 2021. The documents enabled friends and family to travel across Europe to festivals, concerts and sporting events.
Fake Certificates for Singer and Son
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard one certificate was supplied to Duffy and another to his son Jordan. The forged document helped the singer travel to the UK in July 2021 to perform at a gig, while Corrigan also used fake certificates himself.
Detective Garda Joe Gavin told the court that Corrigan was intercepted by immigration officers at Terminal One of Dublin Airport on July 11, 2021. He presented two Spanish PCR certificates, one for his outbound journey and another for his return flight. When questioned, he admitted the documents had been fabricated.
Investigation and Concerns
An examination of his mobile phone revealed he had shared similar certificates with as many as ten other people. Det Gda Gavin said Corrigan had effectively "cheated the system" while the rest of the country was in lockdown and people were required to undergo testing before travelling.
The court heard Corrigan did not make money from the scheme, but his actions allowed others to travel and attend performances. The detective also raised concerns about Corrigan's conduct after he was interviewed by gardaí in December 2021.
Sentencing and Next Steps
Corrigan's solicitor contacted officers the following day to say he had tested positive for Covid-19. The detectives, who had young children at the time, requested proof of the result but never received it. "I don't believe I ever saw a level of remorse," Det Gda Gavin said, adding Corrigan "didn't have the decency" to provide evidence of the positive test.
Corrigan's barrister Justin McQuade said his client had been struggling with anxiety, depression and heavy drinking at the time, and had developed problems with gambling. He described Corrigan as a people pleaser who had made poor decisions and acted out of a "false sense of loyalty or misjudgement".
The court heard he married in 2025, has a commerce degree from University College Dublin and has worked for the same recruitment agency since 2021. He now lives and works remotely from Barcelona.
Judge Orla Crowe described the case as "very unusual" but said the offences were extremely serious, with 22 certificates forged for ten beneficiaries. She said there was no justification for the behaviour beyond "cheating the system".
Corrigan pleaded guilty to possessing a false instrument, namely a Covid-19 PCR certificate, on dates between May and July 2021. Judge Crowe asked the Probation Service to assess him for 240 hours of community service, despite his current residence in Spain. The case was adjourned until February.
