George Davidson aged 57 years from Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire was jailed for six months at Carlisle Crown Court on Friday 4th January 2013 for tachograph fraud.

The defendant was stopped by VOSA at approximately on the 28th June 2012 at the goods vehicle testing station in Carlisle. Upon examination of his tachograph record by Andy Wallace of VOSA, an explanation was given of the journey back from Germany and Holland which Davidson had just undertaken. Through contact with the depots visited by Davidson it appeared that the vehicle had been driven at times when the tachograph was recording him to be resting.

Davidson was unable to offer an explanation for the above anomalies and arrangements were made with a local Tachograph Centre to examine the tachograph. The results of the examination led VOSA to the conclusion that a second sender unit had been fitted in-line within the tachograph loom. PC Shaun McKeown from Cumbria Police was contacted and arrangements made to have Davidson arrested and his vehicle seized for a subsequent evidential examination to take place.

PC McKeown’s examination revealed an impulse generator taped to a relay, wired into the tachograph loom above the nearside glove box. After a long process the switching was confirmed to be via a looped jack plug in the 24v socket in the passenger side of the dash. Further analysis of the seized material revealed a total of 69 false charts.

Davidson pleaded guilty to the offences at Carlisle Magistrates Court and was committed to the Crown Court where he was imprisoned and ordered to pay £400 costs.