Conspiracy trial
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• Cheshire haulier and farmer Stanley Fernyhough and one of his drivers ave denied "milking" grain :.om loads carried by his vehiles. Four other drivers have dmitted taking part. Fernyhough, of Hilly Lees 'arm, Swytharnley, near Maclesfield, pleaded not guilty be Knutsford Crown Court to ye counts of conspiring with le drivers to steal grain. Anthony Weaver, of 25 unsford Avenue, Baddeley reen, Stoke-on-Trent,
leaded not guilty to conspiring ith Fernyhough to steal grain. Anthony Smallwood, of utchinson Walk, Longton, toke-on-Trent; Christopher radshaw, of Coleridge Drive, ighfield Estate, Stafford; Phi) Harrison, of Rock House, hapel Lane, Brown Edge, :oke-on-Trent; and Keith ax, of 50 Chapel Street, Mow pp, all pleaded guilty to coniring with Fernyhough to eal grain.
Prosecuting, Derek Halbert id that when Ferny-hough disvered there was no weighidge at a farm where grain is loaded, the drivers were Ed to put extra on. They mid then travel via Hilly !es Farm, where Fernyhough )uld off-load the surplus, usually about two to three tonnes. Fernyhough would give the drivers an extra £50 a week in their wage packets.
When interviewed by the police, both Fernyhough and Weaver had initially denied the allegations. They subsequently made a full confession.
Cox said he twice carried grain. He was instructed to go to the farm and Fernyhough tapped some grain off. On one occasion, three vehicles loaded at the same farm, and as he was leaving Hilly Lees Farm he saw the other two going in.
Fernyhough said he had been prosecuted a number of times for overloading. He had taken grain off about eight to 10 loads to avoid the vehicles being overloaded and had not given any thought to who the grain belonged to.
Questioned by Halbert, Fernyhough agreed that the grain he had taken off was not his property and that he had known it was not. He agreed he had fed it to his sheep.
He had said that he had stolen the grain during the police interview because he had four or five days of the interview, The £50 had not been recorded in the wages book, as otherwise the drivers would have thought it was part of the vehicle's earnings.
The trial is continuing.