TGWU men deny blackmailing Craddocks
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• The trial of a TGWU official and two shop stewards accused of blackmailing a Merseyside haulage company finished after eight days before Mr Justice Crichton at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday. The jury was expected to reach a verdict yesterday.
Harold Lovell Verinder, 52, a union official, of 42 Marlvdon Rd, Liverpool, Peter McKeown, 32, a shop steward, of 1 Wesley St, Waterloo, and Anthony John Rafferty, 35, a shop steward, of 8 Bradkendale Ave, Liverpool, had all pleaded not guilty to charges of blackmail and conspiring to blackmail.
The prosecution had alleged that the defendants had demanded the sum of E20( from Craddocks Road Services (Liverpool: Ltd as the price of lifting the blacking of the company vehicles at the docks imposeC during the containerization dispute. The company informed the police the money was handed over in marked notes and the defendants then arrested.
Mr Ifor Morris-Jones QC, defending submitted that the offer of £200 came from Craddocks's Bootle manager in an attempt to get the company out of its blacking difficulties. There was no better way to discredit shop stewards than for an unscrupulous haulier to make allegations of blackmail, he said.