A recession-hit haulier and two lorry drivers who

A recession-hit haulier and two lorry drivers who embarked
on a ‘sohisticated’ plot to off-load a cargo of stolen whisky
have all been jailed.

Drivers Alfred Buckingham and Daniel Colbert acted as look-
outs for haulage contractor Alan Welch who was in charge of the scheme
to get rid of the load worth some pnds stlg 120,000.

A jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court found Buckingham, 52, Welch,
44, both of Page Crescent, Erith, Kent, and Colbert, of Cobham, Kent,
guilty of conspiracy to handle stolen goods.

All three are married with children, the court was told.

Judge Joseph Gosschalk said the agreement between the three had
the ‘hallmarks of sophistication and a degree of planning and
organisation.

‘
The jury had heard how on December 4 last year Welch – who traded
as ‘A.

Welch Transport Ltd’ – was involved in driving the load while
Buckingham and Colbert kept close behind in a Volkswagen keeping
contact with him by mobile telephone.

Mr Jeremy Benson, prosecuting, explained how about a week earlier
a 40 foot lorry containing 1,320 cases of Whyte and Mackay whisky had
been hijacked in Milton Keynes.

But little did the three defendants know that they had been
trailed by police officers in unmarked cars from Dartford in Kent
until they were stopped in Gascoigne Road, Barking, Essex.

During the trial both Welch and Buckingham, who each had previous
convictions for dishonesty, maintained that they did not know the
goods had been stolen.

The pair said that they thought they were on their way to make a
legitimate delivery.

Colbert, of previous good character, declined to give evidence.

Mr Robert Neill, defending Buckingam, said that the crime was
committed at a time when he was ‘under considerable financial
pressure.

‘
And Miss Justine Glover, for Colbert, described similar hardships
during the recession.

Defending Welch, Mr Michael Oliver, said that in the past he had
always run a ‘legitimate haulage transport company.

‘
Counsel added: ‘The legitimate business he had been running for
many years was suffering in a time of recession.

‘
Sentencing the three Judge Gosschalk told them the court often
regarded handling as more serious than theft ‘because it facilitates
the thief to realise the benefits of his ill-gotten gains.

‘There remains the worrying aspect that all three of you were in
the haulage business.

‘
Judge Gosschalk said that ‘prime-mover’ Welch was able to use his
company’s name to carry out the dishonesty with the ‘apparent facade
of its being an honest business.

‘
The judge turned to Welch first who he sentenced to 18 months
while ordering him to serve nine months with the remainder of the term
suspended.

Similarly Buckingham was jailed for 12 months but ordered to
serve only six months of the term.

The rest was suspended.

Finally Judge Gosschalk sentenced Colbert to 12 months
imprisonment while ordering him to spend three months of the term in
prison, again with the balance suspended.

ENDS