Haulier collapses in court
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CHARGES concerning an overweight vehicle being heard at Stanhope, Durham, magistrates' court on Tuesday were dropped after the haulier concerned had collapsed in the witness box.
Mr William Hobson who, with his son, traded as Hobson Brothers, Stanhope, was later Found to be dead.
The firm had pleaded guilty to the charge of using a vehicle on a road on July 23 last rear with an overload of 15cwt 141b on the rear axle. The yelicle was stopped at a roadiide check loaded with tarmac 'rom Heights Quarry, Stanlope, and had been weighed tt the quarry weighbridge before it left.
On being directed to a weighbridge by the DoE examiner it was found to be overloaded on the rear axle.
During the hearing, Mr Hobson was making a statement to the effect that the vehicle was on its way to a weighbridge at Woolsingham where there were facilities to adjust the load.
He had suggested to the court that the DoE was using a sledgehammer to crack a nut when he collapsed.
Later, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Vickers, asked that the charges against both company and the driver, Mr John Airey Johnson, should be dropped.