Three found guilty of conspiring to defraud TCs

A warrant for the arrest of Stephen O'Sullivan was issued at Luton Crown Court after he failed to appear to hear the jury convict him and two hauliers of conspiracy to defraud.

After an eight-week trial, Stephen O'Sullivan, of Buckinghamshire, and hauliers Anthony Purnell, of Derbyshire, and William Robertson, of Aberdeenshire, were found guilty of conspiring to defraud the Traffic Commissioners and their staff, conspiring to defraud people who had paid money for having their vehicles unlawfully specified on O-licences belonging to another licence holder, and conspiring to allow O-licences to be used by persons not holding O-licences.

In addition, O'Sullivan was found guilty on three counts of money laundering.

Sentencing has been adjourned until 24 April for the preparation of pre-sentencing reports. Purnell and Robertson were given unconditional bail.

The prosecution had claimed that O'Sullivan's schemes caused havoc within the UK road haulage industry, "driving a coach and horses through the legislation", and that all three received substantial proceeds.

Advertisements were placed in trade magazines offering the availability of O-licences. The adverts were as the purchaser and seller of companies that held O-licences and in that way licences were obtained with the ability to hire out space on the licences. Traffic Area Office staff were misled into issuing O-licence discs for vehicles that were not being operated by the licence-holder.

Most of the people or companies that "borrowed" licences in that way were conned into paying 10 times the actual fee for obtaining a legitimate licence. Once the money had been converted into cash it was laundered by O'Sullivan and concealed in places where the authorities would not be able to trace it.