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MORE FINES IN DRIVERS' FUEL FIDDLE

13th March 1964, Page 47
13th March 1964
Page 47
Page 47, 13th March 1964 — MORE FINES IN DRIVERS' FUEL FIDDLE
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE hearing of charges against longdistance lorry drivers alleged to have signed for diesel fuel they never received and pocketed 3s. for every fictitious gallon booked (see The Commercial Motor, February 7 and 14) was resumed at Daventry Magistrates Court this week.

At the earlier hearing in February, the Court dealt with 123 drivers, all of whom had pleaded guilty to causing the Power or National Benzole companies to deliver cheques to Tubby's Café at Lilbourne, Northants, by false pretences.

On Monday the Court dealt with seven further pleas of guilty and imposed fines and costs totalling nearly 1.300. The first lorry driver to plead not guilty was Mr. John F. Marshall, 29, from Mansfield, who claimed that a statement admitting the offence was obtained from him on the threat of violence by a police officer. The Bench found against him and he was Finest £15 with £.7 lit. 6d. costs.

On Tuesday, the Court dealt with two cases. . Mr. Edgar S. Hill, 37, of Clapham, London, Pleaded not guilty to six offences but was found guilty and then asked for six other offences to be taken into consideration. He was fined a total of 1308 plus £10 costs. Mr. John Wymark, 46, of Wimbledon, London, charged with 20 offences, pleaded not guilty and elected to be tried by jury at Northamptonshire Quarter Sessions. He was granted bail in his own recognizance of £25.

Two pump attendants at Tubby's Café and filling station gave evidence. Mr. Leonard G. Sheaf and Mr. Francis R. Tew said the excess gallons signed for were always entered in a circle on the day sheet. The figure in the circle represented the number of gallons for which the drivers were paid at the rate of 3s. per gallon.

Thus, the true sales figure was always shown on the daily record, and the false figure on the invoice, the difference being the figure in the circle. Both cash and pumps were checked against the true and false figures each day.

Protest at Criticisms SPEAKING at the annual dinner of the King's Lynn sub-area of the Road Haulage Association, Mr. C. Robinson, chairman of the Eastern area, said he would like to protest .as firmly as possible at the vicious criticisms which were sometimes made of transport drivers by people who happen to have seen one example of bad behaviour and decided it must apply to the million other drivers they had not seen. Those in the transport industry knew well enough what a good job the drivers did and the responsibility which hey felt towards the public.


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