Driver 'deserved sack' for tachograph fiddle
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A WEST MIDLANDS lorry 4:river has been found guilty cf falsifying tachograph charts Li order to claim a night out
lowance to which he was it entitled.
Steven Smith, of Tividale, Watley, denied two counts of n aking a fake tachograph ncord and 011C COMA 01. atttmpting to obtain property deception, when he aprared at Dudley Crown ourt, but was tined 12225 and ordered to pay +:75 toards the costs of the proseition. Judge Michael Mopp b-anded him a 'liar', who said h2 deserved to lose his job.
Giles Harrington-Hall, prosecuting, said that Smith was returning from Bognor egis on April 11 and removed the tachograph chart when he stopped at Voodstock.
He then wound the clock an' 14 hours so that the tachograph recorded a time for the fAlowing morning, and put in a fresh chart showing that he had started driving at Woodstock on April 12.
He drove to rividale, parking the vehicle dose to his home, and stopped the tachograph clock by removing the fuse.
Nothing was recorded i in ti I he returned die following morning and replaced the ruse before driving to his CHI— plover's depot in Brierley Hill.
By removing and then replacing the fuse there WaSno break in the trace, despite a gap of 14 hours.
John Dawes, sales manager of EFT Distribution, Smith's employer, said he had seen Smith's vehicle parked close to his home at about !)pm on April II.
Traffic examiner Don Fisher said that Smith's vehicle was equipped with a Lucas Kienzle two-man automatic tachograph. The tachograph chart dated April 12 showed a distance of 120km covered in the first two hours
of driving. "Fividale was 1211k in from Woodstock.
Cross examined, Smith said he was not aware he had only driven six hours that day but he did know he had worked about iii me-and-three-quarter hours. It was very difficult to estimate driving time on multiple drop deliveries.
He agreed his vehicle did not have a sleeper cab but said that he had a bed in the back.
Smith's wife, Lyn. said her husband had phoned her from Woodstock on the evening of April 11 and she had not seen him until the f011owing night.
Fining Smith after the jury found him guilty. Judge Michael Mopp said that he was a liar and perjurer who at public expense had told a pack of lies for one and a half days.
He should be thoroughly ashamed of himself. He deserved to lose his job as there was a queue of decent drivers waiting to take his place.