Repute lost for drug offence
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A Dagenham international haulier has had his Operator's licence revoked and has been disqualified from holding a licence for three years.
Raymond Bownes, who received a six-year prison sentence in August 1996 for a drug-related offence, was convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court of knowingly being involved in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the import of a controlled drug. Bownes told Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms that he had been released after three years.
He had been asked to take a packet to Manchester, which turned out to be money intended to be used by others in the illegal trafficking of drugs. The offence had not been connected with his haulage business and he had travelled to Manchester by private car. His only truck was being driven by his son on a regular run between the LIK. and Switzerland.
Bownes said he had failed to notify the Traffic Area of the conviction because of an oversight at a time when he was suffering severe domestic problems. For Bownes, Fred Randall pointed out that he had had a long career in haulage and no other offences had been committed.
Holding that Bownes no longer met the requirement to be of good repute, the TO said it was not for him to retry the case. He did not consider that enough time had elapsed from the date of the conviction to enable him to disregard it.
Directing that his decision should not take effect until 3 June, the TC said that the delay would enable Bownes' son to seek an 0-licence. However, he would not be allowed to employ his father in any capacity.