More discharged from conspiracy case
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• Five of 27 men accused of conspiring to break Road Traffic Act regulations were discharged from the case at the outset of Monday's hearing at a special sitting of Bow Street court in London.
The magistrate, Mr. E. J. C. Crowther, sitting at Victory House, Kingsway, discharged the men after the prosecuting council, Mr. E. S. Fay, QC, for the Ministry of Transport, had told him that the prosecution wished to withdraw all charges against them.
They are David Alfred Sheen, Manor Park East; Dennis John Dickens, Robert MacLeod, Jeffrey and Douglas Vincent Batting, all of Exeter, and Norman Edward Hibell, of Rubery, Birmingham.
The hearing of charges against the remaining defendants continued. Two directors of Charles Poulter Ltd., hauliers, of Tower Hamlets, London, Solly Davis, 56, and his son Ronald, 20, both of Southgate, London, are among the defendants. The others are lorry drivers.
Four charges—not all the defendants face each charge—relate to alleged offences in February and March of last year at the company's offices.
The first alleges conspiracy to make false statements in documents required under the Road Traffic Act. The second alleges a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by fabricating false evidence. The third alleges conspiracy to cause goods vehicles to be driven excessive hours and the fourth alleges conspiracy to forge documents purporting to be made under the Act.
When the proceedings were resumed on Tuesday another of the accused, Ronald Charles Sterling, of Stratford, was discharged.
After a short sitting on Wednesday the hearing was adjourned until today. Bail for all defendants was continued.