He could face a term of up to 10 years, Tralee Circuit Criminal Court heard. However, his barrister argued that, as a foreign black man, his client would be isolated in Cork jail.

The Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee was told yesterday that the true identity of Adam Shibaba is still not known. He continues to seek naturalisation. The stamp he sought over five years ago — a stamp four — was the penultimate step before naturalisation.

The Garda immigration officer in Tralee believed the passport presented on August 18, 2009, to be genuine and the stamp entitling Shibaba to work and claim social welfare was issued.

However a subsequent examination by the documents section in the Garda technical bureau proved that the biographical page had in fact been altered.

Shibaba, aged 35, of Cnoc Gorm, Tralee, denied the charges of knowingly using a false instrument and of attempting to induce a garda to believe it to be genuine. A jury convicted him on both counts last November.

The penalties for using a false passport are up to 10 years’ imprisonment, prosecutor Tom Rice told the court. Leading a person to accept a false document entailed a penalty of five years.

Detective Garda Gary Carroll said the man was known in Tralee as ‘American Kenny’ because of his accent. He had lived in Tralee since 2006, and had worked under a different name than Shibaba.

“At this point we are not sure of this man’s identity,” said Det Garda Carroll. “The Zimbabwean embassy in London has no knowledge of this man. We have taken fingerprints and forwarded them through Interpol and there has been no positive identification. He was married in 2007 to an Irish woman and a child was born in 2008. They continued to seek naturalisation.”

Barrister for Shibaba, John O’Sullivan, said his client’s only motivation was to get work and this was no different to Irish emigrants who sometimes used false social security numbers.

He was not involved in any crime, was not violent, was not into drugs, he said.

“He is a foreign gentleman and a black gentleman and prison is not suitable for him,” said Mr O’Sullivan. “There is a question of isolation — although it is hoped that it is only a minority who are ill disposed on the grounds of colour.”

Judge Carroll Moran adjourned the matter for further consideration.