The use of a 'ghost driver' cost Kirkby, Liverpool driver Stuart Thomas £621 in fines and costs when he appeared before the Ellesmere Port & Neston magistrates. Thomas pleaded guilty to an offences of falsifying a tachograph chart. Prosecuting for Vosa, David James said during an investigation into the activities of drivers employed by Jason Byrne, trading as North West Express, of St Helens, 109 of Thomas's tachograph charts were analysed. The traffic examiner suspected that one of these charts, which was in Byrne's name, had been falsified.
It was compared with fuel receipts and timesheets. Several charts in Byrne's name were checked and the handwriting was found to be different. The handwriting on the chart concerned was similar to Thomas's. According to the timesheets Thomas had been delivering in London and he had tried to get back. If all the driving done by Thomas had been appropriately recorded he would have exceeded 4½ hours without the required break and exceeded the daily driving limit. There was a total of 11hr 42min on the two charts.
When interviewed Thomas had admitted what he had done. He had said that he had received no training and no disciplinary issues had been brought to his attention. Thomas said he had left the firm shortly afterwards. The magistrates fined Thomas £140 with £481 costs.
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