Judge rejects case
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• A haulier who was warned by Ellesmere Port Magistrates that he might face prison for making fraudulent declarations to obtain vehicle excise licences has had his case returned to the magistrates for trial.
Ronald Littler, of Backford, Cheshire-based Littlers, was referred back to magistrates by Chester Crown Court last week. Littler had originally pleaded guilty to six offences; the company admitted eight similar offences and nine of using vehicles without current vehicle excise licences.
Committing Littler and the company to the Crown Court for sentence, the magistrates said that because of the nature, range and volume of the offences they felt that their powers of sentencing were tnsufficient.
But when they appeared at Chester Crown Court, Judge Derek Halbert said that Littler had said he had been unaware of the false declarations and had been careless. In those circumstances, he should have pleaded not guilty and his guilty plea was "equivocal".
I-lx directed that the case should be sent back to the magistrates for trial.