1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152 
Coal merchant cleared of theft
Page 54
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Coal merchant and haulage contractor Michael James Morgan was cleared of theft and other charges at Carlisle Crown Court this week after a prosecution witness told of "special circumstances" at Whitehaven collieries.
Mr Morgan, of Ennerdale Terrace, Whitehaven, pleaded not guilty to eight charges of theft, involving £32.05 and four charges of furnishing false information to the Coal Board for accounts.
Earlier Mr Henry Kershaw, prosecuting, said Mr Morgan had charged the Coal Board for site work by his lorries, when they were in fact in Whitehaven, delivering coal on consignment from the Coal Board. Colliery surface superintendent Mr Aubrey Russell, told of special circumstances under which the Coal Board's contract with Morgan was not strictly adhered to. After this evidence Mr Kershaw said he could not properly ask the jury to convict Morgan, and he offered no further evidence.
Judge Robert Leech, directing the jury to return not guilty verdicts on all counts, said "My view is that this happened because rather unusual circumstances arose, and the two parties did not get together to discuss the changed circumstances".
Morgan, aged 43, was awarded costs from public funds.