• A judge has imposed a £10,000 fine on a
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man who ran an illegal tachograph repair workshop. Anthony Callaghan was caught during a two-and-a-half-year operation by police, the Vehicle Inspectorate and Trading Standards Officers in Avon and Somerset. He faces four months' jail if he fails to pay up within 12 months.
Following the hearing at Gloucester Crown Court prosecutor Mark Horton said Callaghan had carried on repairing and calibrating tachographs without renewing the licence needed: "He had a lot of stolen and forged documents to enable him to repair tachographs so they appeared to be genuine Lucas units which had been repaired lawfully by Lucas." Horton added that one of Callaghan's main customers was ATAC In Avonmouth, which was licensed to fit and calibrate tachographs.
Richard Williams. defending, told the court that Callaghan estimated it would cost him £20,000 a year to satisfy the criteria needed for a licence. Although the value of property and equipment seized during the investigation was £100,000, it was since reduced to £30,000.
Callaghan, of Highbridge, Somerset, was ordered to pay 21,000 costs. At a previous crown court hearing he was sentenced to 180 hours community service after admitting six charges connected with repair, supply and verification of tachographs.