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Hauliers' ordeal ended by judge
Page 19
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A TWO year ordeal for two former directors of a Blackburn haulage company was ended by a judge last week. At the Inner London Crown Court, Judge Bruce Campbell directed a jury to acquit William Erik Charles Howell, aged 38, of Blackburn Road, Pediham and John Edward Lancaster, aged 34, of Fairfield Drive, Clitheroe, of conspiracy and they were discharged.
The two defendants, both former directors of Howlan Transport International, had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud Baxter Hoare and Co Ltd. shipper, of Suffolk, London and Erith, Kent, by forged invoices and other fraudulent means.
Alan Green, prosecuting, had told the court that two employees of Baxter Hoare had pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud their employers and had been sentenced.
He alleged that the two employees had received bribes or "backhanders" from the two defendants to help HowIan Transport. Mr Green also alleged there had been a forged invoice for £3,200 which had been paid by Baxter Hoare to Howlan Transport for work which was never done and the money had been shared between the two de fendants and two employees.
At the close of the prosecution's case, John Jackson for the two defendants submitted there was no case to answer. The judge told the jury that it would be dangerous for them to convict on the sole evidence of the two employees who were "evil men" who had been stealing from their employers over a number of years.
The judge said it was not disputed that payment had been made to the two employees but it was contended that the payments were to compensate them for extra work and documentation they had done which was far beyond their normal work.
Directing the jury to acquit the two defendants, the judge said that one thing they did not know was that they were men of good character and had never been charged with any offence before. They might be inefficient businessmen, he said, but they were not criminals.
He added that the two defendants had had a two years' ordeal which he would now put to an end.