Back before the courts
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Directors of William Vartin Oliver to face a retrial. Mike Jewell reports.
A BAD WEEK for Northumbrian haulage firm William Martin Oliver & Partners has been capped by the news that its management team is to face retrial over conspiracy charges.
The firm was also hit by disqualification and revocation orders this week as the North Western TC, Beverley Bell, delivered a damning verdict on the firm's culture and its managers. It lost its North Western and North Eastern licences and bosses William Martin and Marion and Stuart Oliver were disqualified from holding a licence in any traffic area.
Bell said she considered Stuart Oliver had allowed himself to put commercial gain above compliance with the law. Like his father and mother, he had benefited from the profits of the firm. She felt she would be failing in her duty if she did not take them all out of the industry. The news of a retrial comes after a jury at Newcastle Crown Court failed to agree a verdict on any of the three defendants following an eight-week trial earlier this year (CM June 17).
William Martin, Marion and Stuart Oliver had all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In July 2002,10 of the firm's drivers were jailed for two months after admitting falsifying tachograph records, and a further 15 were ordered to do community service of between 100 and 240 hours after being sent to the Crown Court for sentence. Seven other drivers were fined a total of £4.850 by the magistrates for similar offences.