Tacho appeal quashed
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• A Southampton haulage company, its managing director and transport manager have had their convictions for aiding and abetting drivers to make false tachograph records quashed by the Criminal Court of Appeal, JF Alford Transport, its owner James Alford and transport manager Peter Payne were found guilty of eight offences at Southampton Crown Court last June. In September the company was fined 110,000 with .a2,000 costs; Alford was fined ,f5,000 and Payne £1,000, But last week Lord Justice Kennedy, sitting with Mr Justice Blofeld and Leeds Recorder Brian Walsh threw out the convictions, In a written judgement, the court said there was no prima facie evidence that any defendant knew drivers were producing false tacho charts. In November 1993 police seized records including charts and timesheets.
A comparison of tacho records and time sheets for September and October 1993 showed many of the drivers were being paid for more hours than were shown on the tachos.
The Appeal Court decided there was no evidence to show that either Payne or Alford checked tacho charts against the relevant timesheet.