Axed lorry driver goes on fuel spending spree

Fired lorry driver Christopher Bevan kept 2 of his ex-employer's fuel cards and went on a £7,000 spending spree it has been heard.

Mr Bevan used the fuel cards 98 times over a period of 5 weeks racking up the huge bill. It was heard by courts that he was filling up cans and then re-selling them at low-cost. Customers were beating a path to his door.

However at around 1am on October 30 last year a garage cashier became suspicious and phoned police. The police caught Mr Bevan with the two fuel cards and class A drugs.

Judge Francis Gilbert QC said Bevan was guilty of "rampant dishonesty" and sentenced him to a total of 10 months in jail: eight months for the fraud and drugs offences and two months for the criminal damage, but made no order for compensation due to his lack of means.

Moral of the story - It is so vitally important for hauliers to keep on top of the whereabouts of their fuel cards. They should be treated the same as debit/credit cards and immediately cancelled if an ex-employee has possession.