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'False statement' fine at fourth hearing
Page 28
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• A Rochdale lorry driver was fined £40. with £19.90 costs, after pleading guilty to a charge of making a false statement in order to obtain a heavy goods vehicle driving licence, before the Rochdale Borough magistrates last week.
Prosecuting for the North Western LA, Mr D. M. Turner said the driver concerned. David Stewart Logan, of Manchester Road, Castleton, had applied for a licence in November 1970 and had made statements about his previous driving experience, which later proved to be false. Attempts were made to bring the case before the magistrates on three previous occasions, but the prosecution had been unable to proceed because of failures to serve the summons. It was felt that this might be a case of deliberate avoidance of the service by the defendant and a warrant was issued for his arrest. When this was executed, the defendant was bailed to appear on October 22.
The certificate of driving experience submitted to the LA by Logan showed that he had worked for two companies during the relevant qualifying period, Bowyer Plant Hire Ltd and R. M. Douglas (Construction) Ltd and it appeared to be signed by the transport managers of the two companies.
Logan claimed he had been driving a Class I vehicle between August 1968 and June 1969. a Class II vehicle from June 1969 until May 1970, and a Commer tipper between March and June 1969.
The whole form, it was submitted, was a fiction. Logan had been employed by Bowyer Plant Hire to drive plant but neither transport manager had signed the certificate while, in addition. two of the vehicles he claimed to have driven did not exist.
When interviewed by a DoE traffic examiner. Logan said he had had considerable experience in driving goods vehicles before the relevant period. He became redundant at the end of 1970 and before applying for an hgv licence he was on the dole. He was in desperate need of a job. he said, and he filled in the form himself so that he could obtain a driving job and earn an honest living. The signatures on the certificate were not entered as forgeries but to show who were his bosses at the time.
Mr Turner submitted that it was a very bad case and that the signatures were forgeries in aid of a deliberate fraud.