A GAY Iranian who fled to the UK because homosexuality is illegal in his homeland has been jailed for having a fake passport and driving licence.

Majid Naderi, 20, arrived in Britain in July 2007, fearing persecution in the Muslim country.

He moved to Basildon and applied for asylum, but his application was turned down. He was given temporary permission to stay, while lawyers challenged moves to send him back to Iran.

Last month, Naderi’s case came before the Supreme Court, and a ruling is awaited on his asylum status as an Iranian homosexual.

In the meantime, Naderi found himself in trouble with the British authorities. He appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court to admit possessing a forged Bulgarian passport and a Portuguese driving licence. He also used the passport to open a bank account at the Basildon branch of NatWest.

Mark Lakin, prosecuting, said police found the forged documents when they searched his home in Beeleigh Cross, Basildon, last October in connection with an unrelated matter.

His lawyer, Jacqueline Carey, said Naderi’s family got him the documents when his asylum claim was rejected in November 2007. She added: “They were bereft at the prospect of his return to Iran.”

He had opened the bank account as a way of making the passport seem legitimate. Naderi even enrolled at Thurrock and Basildon College for a time in the name of the person on the fake passport, Georgi Hristov.

Miss Carey urged the judge to impose a suspended sentence, saying it was an unusual case.

However, Recorder Jason Beer jailed him for 12 months.

After serving his sentence Naderi will be liable to be deported, unless on the Supreme Court rules otherwise.