Three drivers sent to prison for tacho fiddling
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Two-year VOSA investigation pays off, as Crown Court punishes five offenders
By Patric Cunnane
THREE CONTAINER drivers have been sent to prison and two others received 150 hours community service each for falsifying a total of 76 tachograph records. The trafic examiner, Michael Tribe, received a commendation from Judge Binning at Norwich Crown Court for his investigative work.
The ive worked for sole trader Carol Allen, based in Downham Market, Norfolk. At a previous public inquiry, her O-licence was revoked, she lost her repute as transport manager, and she was barred indeinitely from holding an O-licence.
Offences included driving without a tachograph chart, pulling the fuse of the tachograph to prevent it working, and ‘wind-backs’ – winding back the clock to give a false impression of the times.
The trial was the result of a two-year investigation by VOSA. Carol Allen was involved in general haulage, mainly transporting containers in and out of Felixstowe. The offences were detected during 2007-8 after the operation had received a large number of drivers’ hours prohibitions.
The drivers sentenced were: ● Paul Davies, 38 false records, eight months prison; ● Simon Bull, 19 false records, six months prison; ● Malcolm Jerome, nine false records, four months prison plus seven days related to a previous suspended sentence; ● Keith Allen (husband of Carol), ive false records, three months prison sentence suspended for two years plus 150 hours community service; ● Brian Blowers, ive false records, three months prison suspended for two years plus 150 hours community service.
The case was prosecuted for VOSA by Belmore Solicitors of Norwich. After sentencing, VOSA operations director Alex Fiddes said: “Although this is a tremendous result for VOSA, it is sad to see that a small minority of unscrupulous operators are prepared to break the rules and disregard road safety in this way.
“The severity of the sentences relects the importance of drivers’ hours rules. HGV drivers must stick to the rules and take proper rest, otherwise they risk causing serious accidents.
“We will continue to target those operators who lout the rules and take action against them.”