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Fined for falsification just two weeks in to his career
Page 22
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Falsification of a tachograph record within a fortnight of passing his HGV driving test has cost Co Antrim truck driver Mark Brazier £280 in fines and costs. Brazier pleaded guilty to using a false instrument, namely a tachograph chart, when he appeared before the Leyland, Lancashire, Magistrates.
Prosecuting for VOSA, John Heaton said that the chart had been falsified in Scotland, which was outside the court's jurisdiction. However, by producing the chart to a traffic examiner at Preston, Brazier was guilty of an offence of the use of a false instrument under the Forgery Act, The vehicle, which belonged to County Armargh haulier Marcus Morgan, had been stopped in a check at Cuerden, Preston, on August 6, said Heaton. On inspection of the vehicle and trailer a traffic examiner noted that the Operator's Licence identity disc had expired in June and that no current test date was displayed on the semi-trailer.
On examination of Brazier's tachograph charts it was obvious that the speed limiter was not working as the vehicle was travelling in excess of 105km/h on a regular basis. Brazier was unable to assist with the speed limiter, as it was only the second trip he had done for Morgan. There were three charts dated 5 August and Brazier said that his current chart should have been dated 6 August. The two charts for 5 August had been completed by the same person but showed different names. Brazier admitted putting a false name on the first chart dated 5 August. He told that traffic examiner that he had done so because he knew that he was going to have a busy day and that he could not do all his pick-ups within the legal hours. He had said that he was new to driving, having only passed his HG',' driving test on July 24. He had made the mistake of trying to impress a possible future employer. For Brazier, Ivan Dickenson said that he had a good driving record and there was no suggestion that he had been stopped because of his driving.
Dickenson suggested that if the police had considered prosecution, Brazier would have been cautioned.
Fining Brazier £200 and ordering him to pay £80 prosecution costs, the magistrates said that they took a serious view of the offence, for which he could have been sent to prison. There was a danger that he might have fallen asleep at the wheel and they were concerned that Brazier had fallen foul of the regulations so soon in his driving career,