A suspended prison sentence has been handed down at Newry Crown Court today (Wednesday) to a Keady haulier after pleaded guilty to forgery.
John Francis Murray, the managing director of M&S Freight Forwarding Limited, on the Derrynoose Road, Keady, was convicted of forgery and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for three years.
He pleaded guilty on one charge of forgery and four charges of conspiracy to commit forgery in relation tachograph and drivers’ hours offences.
The charges related to a joint investigation conducted by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) and PSNI, between April 2012 and September 2012, into the operation of vehicles owned by M&S Freight Forwarding Limited, Keady.
Following the inspection of three vehicles being used by the company it was discovered that tachograph manipulation devices had been fitted to interfere with the vehicle tachograph recording equipment.
Detailed analysis of tachograph records along with other documentation pertaining to the movements of the vehicles showed that the devices had been activated to enable the driver to continue driving while simulating that the vehicle was stationary, thereby creating false tachograph records.
On October 14, four drivers of M&S Freight Forwarding Limited received suspended prison sentences of varying lengths for their part in the fraud.
A confiscation order in relation to the assets of Murray will be heard at a later date.
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