Knight? negligence costs £800
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• Dukinfield Magistrates have fined Bellrose, trading as Knights Transport, £800 with £50 costs on four offences of permitting drivers to exceed the hours limits.
Director David Knight said that vehicles and drivers had been provided by another company, J M Heathcote of Stalybridge, and the transport manager Brian Howard had been responsible for checking the tachograph charts and ensuring the drivers complied with the law.
Admitting that he had only visually checked about 10% of the charts because of pressure of work, Howard denied telling drivers to get the job done irrespective of the time limits. He agreed he had been under pressure to keep customers satisfied which meant getting drivers to work as hard as possible, but that did not include getting them to work excessive hours, he said.
Defending, John McClure said it was a matter of negligence rather than one of deliberately causing or permitting the offences.
Allegations of aiding and abetting the falsification of tachograph charts against J&M Heathcote its managing director Michael Heathcote and transport manager Brian Howard are to be heard by Dukinfield Magistrates after the defence changed its mind about a trial before judge and jury at Manchester Crown Court.
All three defendants are accused of 70 offences of aiding and abetting drivers to falsify charts. In addition the company and Howard face 87 allegations of permitting drivers to exceed hours limits. Michael Heathcote faces 92 such allegations.
Last October they chose Crown Court trial (CM 1 November, 1986). The magistrates allowed their plea to be dealt with at the lower court. The hearings against all three has been adjourned until May 7.