Cleared but costly
Page 21
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A COVENTRY coach operator has been ordered to pay E1,000 towards the cost of his trial, even though he was found not guilty of conspiring to defraud an insurance company after one of his Spanish-built coaches was destroyed in a fire.
Terence Hall of Pandora Road, Wallsgrove, who trades as Terry's Coaches and was a director of Sunshine Holidays, claimed at Warwick Crown Court that he had not meant what he had said when he had told fish and chip shop owner Paul Phillips that he wished "something to happen" to a De Cotta Apollo coach.
The Apollo was one of two imported in 1982. It was an Ayatsbodied Magirus Deutz with Deutz air-cooled engine and ZF gearbox.
For the prosecution Peter Morrell, said the coach had been bought by Sunshine Holidays in 1982 at a cost of around £100,000 for the operation of package tours to Spain. However, it broke down regularly.
It was being alleged that Mr Hall had arranged with Mr Phillips to have the coach destroyed so that an insurance claim could be made to allow the company to purchase a replacement.
Mr Phillips of Northumberland Avenue, Nuneaton, recruited George Webb of Whitworth Avenue, Coventry and Alan Morris of The Coppice, Coventry, to help and they set the coach on fire with petrol in a compound at Bedworth, last July.
However, suspicions were aroused and no insurance money was ever paid out.
In evidence, Mr Hall agreed that he had said that he wished something would happen to the coach on a number of occasions, but maintained that he had not taken it seriously when Mr Phillips had told him that a fire had been arranged.
He agreed that he had mentioned to Mr Phillips a sum of money he would be prepared
An Apollo similar to Mr Hall's was exhibited at the 1982 NEC Motor Show.
to pay to anyone who destroyed the coach but said he had been joking. Following the not guilty verdict, Judge Frank Blennerhassett, said the fact remained that a few days before the coach was set on fire Mr Hall had spoken to Mr Phillips expressing the wish that the coach be destroyed and even suggesting he would pay a sum of money.
Mr Hall had said, and the jury had accepted, that he had not meant what he had said. Nevertheless, it had been said and Mr Hall's behaviour had been quite reckless.
Phillips, Webb and Morris each admitted conspiracy in relation to the incident at an earlier trial, Phillips was jailed for 18 months, Webb for three years after he had also admitted to cases of burglary and Morris was remanded for reports.