Fitter falsified paperwork
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A mobile fitter, who admitted forging vehicle inspection records as a favour, has been given an eightmonth conditional discharge by Chichester Magistrates.
Ian Garland pleaded guilty to three specimen offences of forgery, while three charges of using a false instrument were dropped.
Prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspectorate, Martin Dalton said that when a vehicle examiner had visited Gander Removals (Rustington) Ltd and asked to see the maintenance records, he was told Garland had them in his possession.
The company contacted Garland, who sat down and wrote out the records, backdating them before subsequently producing them to the vehicle examiner. However, on examination it was found that the mileages entered on the sheets did not tally.
For Garland, Alexander Jacobs pointed out that nobody had been deceived as the inspections had taken place, as was evidenced by invoices produced to the court. Inspection records were often not completed at the same time, as the work was done outside, sometimes in rainy conditions. Garland had forged the records simply to help Gander Removals and had gained nothing from it. As a result of the prosecution he had had to wind up his business.
The magistrates ordered Garland to pay 1200 prosecution costs.