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Two Oliver bosses are jailed
Page 8
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Two haulage bosses are behind bars for 'widespread and persistent disregard' of the drivers' hours and tacho regs. Mike Jewell reports.
TWO BOSSES OF North-East haulage firm William Martin Oliver & Partners are adjusting to life behind bars after a judge said there had been "widespread and persistent disregard" of the drivers' hours rules When Stuart Oliver and his parents William and Marion Oliver appeared at Newcastle Crown Court last month they were found guilty of conspiracy to falsify tacho charts. This followed an abortive eight-week trial last June when the jury failed to reach a verdict on the three.
But now both Stuart and William Oliver are beginning jail sentences of 18 and nine months respectively,while Marion Oliver was given a six-month suspended sentence. The three must also pay costs of almost £200,000 each.
The future of the Hexliambased firm is now in jeopardy, with over 100 drivers facing possible unemployment. Attempts continue to find a buyer for the business but so far without success.
Sentencing the directors, Judge Hewitt said Stuart Oliver was a "major figure" in the business while he accepted his parents had been less involved.
Hewitt said he took into account their previous good character references, the regard in which they were held by employees and members of the community, their hard work in building up the company and the effect of the convictions on them.
But he added: "There is no doubt that there was at the firm widespread and persistent disregard for the regulations covering drivers' hours and rest periods and widespread and persistent falsification of tachographs to cover that up.
"Indeed lam satisfied that there was a culture or policy of disregard of regulations which emanated from the bosses of the company."
He said that during the trial Stuart Oliver had tried to pin the blame on the firm's transport managers and drivers, concluding: "However, it is clear from the evidence if you wanted to be a driver at Olivers you were expected to do the work allocated to you regardless of the regulations."
The firm's woes have been compounded by a Transport Tribunal ruling that upholds TC Beverley Bell's decision to revoke the firm's licence; to disqualify the partners from holding an 0-licence for an indefinite period; and her refusal to grant a licence to Revilo ,a company formed by Stuart Oliver's wife Katharine.