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Newry Directors and Drivers sentenced
for false tacho records
Two directors of a Newry based transport company and fifteen of their employees have been sentenced for
interfering with tachographs and falsifying their records following one of the largest ever investigations of its kind.
65 year old Patrick James Boyle
and 36 year old Mark Anthony
Boyle, Directors of Boyle Transport
Limited, were handed two year and
18 month sentences respectively
in Carlisle Crown Court.
They were also disqualified from
acting as company directors, which
includes having any management
position within a company,
for a period of five years.
This follows them pleading guilty
to conspiring with drivers to make
the false tachograph records on
18 February 2011. A timetable
was set out for future hearings
into confiscation proceedings
relating to the assets of the
company and the directors.
Fifteen HGV drivers from Boyle
Transport Ltd and with addresses
in Scotland and England were
also appeared in court after they
all pleaded guilty to interfering
with their tachographs.
The drivers, many of whom
assisted the prosecution, and
other drivers who offered to
assist the prosecution, received
suspended custodial sentences
and orders to carry out unpaid
work. In his sentencing, His
Honour Judge Hughes QC made
it clear that had it not been for
their assistance, the starting point
for sentencing the drivers would
have been 12 months in custody.
A joint intelligence-led investigation
into Boyle Transport Ltd named
Operation Cadillac began in October
Bridgestone expand their logistics service with IGL
Bridgestone Ireland has announced an expansion of their existing freight
agreement with Dublin logistics provider, Irish Global Logistics (IGL).
Brian Faherty, Transport Manager, Bridgestone Ireland and Robert
Dickinson, Managing Director Irish Global Logistics (IGL).
Brian Faherty, Transport Manager
of Bridgestone Ireland said:
“Bridgestone Ireland was keen to
source a transport provider that
offered the most operationally and
2008, conducted by Cumbria
Constabulary and VOSA. It became
one of the largest investigations
ever conducted by Cumbria’s
Roads Policing Unit or VOSA.
The court heard that eight Boyles
vehicles travelled from Glasgow
into Cumbria on 12 October 2008
and were stopped in Penrith by
RPU officers working on Operation
Cadillac. Five of the vehicles were
seized and examined, and all five
were found to have modified wiring
systems. Further investigations
saw that each had had their
tachographs interfered with.
The investigation led officers to
track down another seven of the
company’s vehicles that had digital
tachographs installed and all of
the data was seized and examined.
A warrant was also conducted at
Patrick Boyles’ home address and
business premises near Newry
with the assistance of the PSNI
on 16 December 2008 where
significant documentary evidence
and paperwork was seized.
A total of 18,000 documents were
reviewed as part of the in-depth
investigation that took place over
the course of a year. It was revealed
that each digital tachograph owned
by the company had been interfered
with and the drivers had, in fact,
been driving up to 22 hours per
day (the law states the maximum
should be 10 per day) and failing
to take their lawful breaks.
cost effective method of distribution
within Ireland whilst keeping the
service levels at the highest possible
standard. Irish Global have managed
to provide us with very high delivery
During the course of the
investigation, RPU and VOSA officers
interviewed all drivers and together
with Carlisle CID interviewed the
directors. This led to the taking
of DNA samples which led to the
subsequent arrest and conviction
of 51 year old Leslie Marshal from
Glasgow for a previous offence
of rape and kidnap. The offence
occurred on 18 January 1989 and
took place near Burnley. After
getting a DNA hit, he was arrested
and charged. Marshall pleaded
guilty to the offence and was
sentenced on the 25th August
2010. He is currently serving a six
and a half year prison sentence.
Sergeant Graeme Hodgson
from the Road Policing Unit
led the investigation for
Cumbria Constabulary. He
said: “The sentence marks the
end of one of the largest ever
investigations conducted by
the Roads Policing Unit.
“This has been a serious, long
running investigation that saw
employers manipulate their staff
into taking serious risks on the road.
By ignoring legislation and having
drivers on the road for up to 22
hours a day risks lives – not only of
the drivers themselves, but other
innocent road users. The legislation
should provide a level playing field
for all hauliers. By extending the
driving done by each driver the
company was able to undercut
deliveries on cost and time, placing
further pressure on struggling
success, whilst dramatically reducing
mileage covered and the numbers
of trucks on the road by sharing
the service with other automotive
suppliers. Combined with our own
vehicle fleet this allows Bridgestone
to provide the best type tyre delivery
service available in Ireland.”
Robert Dickinson. Managing
Director of Irish Global Logistics
in Dublin stated: “In co-operation
with Bridgestone Ireland, our
proposal was to provide a first class
service to the customers. To that
end we have developed a unique
national supply chain based on
‘shared user and staged trunking’.
“This spreads the overall cost
of running trucks across several
customers, thereby reducing the
cost of each customer but also
increasing efficiency by reducing
running mileage and avoiding
long and expensive journeys.”
Irish Global now handles the
competitors who work within the
legislation and who may otherwise
be tempted to follow suit.”
He added: “Cumbria Constabulary
and VOSA are so pleased with the
joint investigative work that we
currently have another investigation
under way and others in the
intelligence gathering stages. The
implications of being caught are
extremely serious, hopefully this
result will act as a big deterrent to
Directors; whilst we will continue
with roadside enforcement against
drivers and vehicles, where further
action is justified we will arrest
those with a controlling hand
at the top of the company.”
Alex Fiddes, press officer
from VOSA, said: “This joint
approach to the investigation
shows the advantages of
multi agency co-operation.
“The investigation which
concentrated on vehicles fitted
with digital tachograph recording
equipment was the largest
undertaken by VOSA and has
revealed the consequences of
drivers and operators who operate
outside the EC Regulations. Tired
drivers run the risk of causing
serious or fatal accidents when
they abuse driver’s hours rules and
don’t take proper rest periods.”
Whilst this result marks the end
of the Criminal Investigation there
is also an application under the
Proceeds of Crime Act to confiscate
monies gained by criminal conduct.
distribution of Bridgestone to all
32 countries of Ireland from their
hubs in Dublin and Belfast as well
as via IGL’s 12 satellite depots
across the country. In addition, Irish
Global also provides Bridgestone
Ireland with European delivery
services from Dublin and now
operates vehicles on contract
distribution for Bridgestone Ireland.
Brain Faherty added: “Irish Global
offers a very high level of customers
care to us, which reflects the
levels of attention we afford to
our own customers. Information is
available immediately from the IGL
online systems and any enquires
are dealt with immediately by
the Contract Manager in Swords.
We have found the Irish Global
have been very flexible in dealing
with seasonable peaks and coped
admirably with the pressures of
the heavy snow in December.”
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News pages.indd 6 24/05/2011 12:02