A CONTRACTOR challenged a senior Princess Yachts manager over payments made to the boss's company on a major project, a fraud trial heard.
John Tinley, a director of the firm managing the work, told a jury he was told to pay invoices from the business run by defendant Glyn Thompson.
Thompson, the facilities manager at the luxury boatmaker, is accused of a complex series of frauds which siphoned more than £1 million from his employers.
Plymouth Crown Court heard that Tinley was a director...
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Boss challenged over bills paid to his firm, Plymouth court told
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Man denies dealing crack cocaine in Plymouth
A MAN accused of dealing crack cocaine is to face a judge and jury.
Gerrard Quinn, aged 47, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court to plead not guilty to possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply.
He was allegedly caught in the city with 33 grams of crack cocaine worth an estimated £3,200.
It came after police stopped a car in which Quinn was a passenger, the court heard.
Judge Paul Darlow set a trial for January 25 next year.
Quinn, of Wynford Road, Stoke Hill, Exeter, was released on...
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Woman denies attacking and seriously injuring man in Plymouth
A WOMAN has appeared in court accused of attacking and seriously injuring her partner.
Daniele Allaway, aged 28, faced a judge to deny assaulting the man causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
She pleaded not guilty at Plymouth Crown Court to attacking Andrew Carroll on November 3.
Judge Paul Darlow set down a trial on April 4 next year.
Allaway, formerly of Elliott Road, Prince Rock, was released on conditional bail to appear at an interim hearing on February 15.
She must live with her...
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Man admits taking gold coins from Plymouth home
A MAN is to be sentenced after he confessed to burgling a city home.
James Field, aged 32, pleaded guilty at Plymouth Crown Court to escaping with a haul of valuables.
He took a mountain bike, digital camera, sunglasses, cash and Kruggerands – gold coins from South Africa.
Co-defendant Nicholas Haynes, aged 43, denied taking part in the burglary at Grenville Road in St Judes on October 20.
Both appeared via the videolink from Exeter Prison.
Judge Paul Darlow set down a trial for Haynes on...
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Man changes plea and admits murder of Tanis Bhandari and wounding...
ONE of the men charged with the murder of Plymouth man Tanis Bhandari on New Year's Day has pleaded guilty to all the charges against him on the fourth day of his trial.
Ryan Williams and Donald Pemberton were jointly charged with the murder of the 27-year-old builder, along with three counts of causing grievous bodily harm and one count of actual bodily harm.
Following legal discussion the defence barrister for Williams – Paul Dunkells QC – asked for the indictment to be read to...
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Tanis' best friend broke down in tears during police interview as...
TANIS Bhandari's best friend broke down in tears as he spoke of the young builder's last moments during a video interview with police, a jury heard.
As members of the public gallery could also be heard to sob, jurors at Plymouth Crown Court watched the interview with Sean Cordon, held on January 2, just a day after his pal's death.
Wincing with pain as he moved, his face sporting fresh bruises and cuts, Mr Cordon struggled to recall the events of the evening.
The court watched as he told the...
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Plymouth mum denies putting strong painkiller Tramadol in her...
A MUM has pleaded not guilty to poisoning her two infant daughters.
Rose Jones, aged 30, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court accused of giving a strong painkiller to the young children in their milk.
Jones allegedly gave the strong painkiller Tramadol when one of the daughters was a year old and the other aged between two and three.
She denied two charges of child cruelty between November 2014 and June this year.
Jones is said to have ill-treated the children, for whom she had responsibility, in a...
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Two men charged after trouble at Argyle v Exeter match in...
Two men have been charged following arrests made at the Plymouth Argyle v Exeter City derby match this weekend.
Callum Leach aged 20 from Exwick Road, Exeter was arrested at Home Park, Plymouth and charged with being drunk in a sports ground. He has been bailed to appear at Plymouth Magistrates on December 9.
Joseph Childs aged 21 from Greenbank Avenue, Plymouth was arrested outside of Home Park and charged under the public order act for using threatening or abusive words likely to cause alarm...
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Fewer arrests of children by Plymouth area police
ARRESTS of children by police in Cornwall and Devon have fallen by more than two thirds in the last four years.
According to data obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform, the number of arrests in the two counties dropped from 4,132 in 2010 to 1,470 in 2014 - a fall of 64%.
A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said the figures reflected the success of hard work done to keep young people out of the criminal justice system.
"We have worked extensively with partners to reduce the...
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Tanis trial witness: He came at me with an axe... I thought he...
WITNESS Abigail Williams, aged 19, told Plymouth Crown Court she recalled a man heading towards her with an axe as she fell to the floor and scrabbled backwards.Miss Williams, the girlfriend of Jamie Healy, was video interviewed on January 2, and said she remembered a man asking her for a cigarette on the green near The Kings Arms in Tamerton Foliot, which the group had just left.She told the officer she remembered him pulling a knife out and running up to Tanis, stabbing him "a couple of...
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Man denies indecently assaulting three boys in Plymouth
A MAN is to face trial accused of sexually abusing three boys more than 30 years ago.
Michael Casey, aged 54, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court to deny six counts dating back to the 70s and 80s.
He pleaded not guilty to four charges of indecent assault on one boy between 1975 and 1977.
Casey denied indecently assaulting a second child in 1977 and a third boy between 1979 and 1981.
He would have been 14 at the time of the earliest allegations.
Judge Paul Darlow set a three-day trial to start on...
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Plymouth man to face trial accused of serious assault
A 31-YEAR-OLD is to face a judge and jury on a charge of attacking and seriously injuring a man.
Michael Halford attended Plymouth Crown Court to deny an offence of malicious wounding.
He allegedly attacked Steve Hellings causing grievous bodily harm without intent on July 17.
Judge Paul Darlow set down a trial to take two days, starting on January 18 next year.
Halford, of Kneele Gardens in Manadon, was released on bail.
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Tanis trial: Man stabbed in the back pleaded with his mum 'don't...
JURORS in the murder trial of Tanis Bhandari heard how a young man who was stabbed in the back pleaded with his mother "don't let me die".
A video interview with Jamie Healy, recorded by police on January 9, the day after he had been discharged from hospital, was shown to jurors at Plymouth Crown Court.
On trial for the joint murder of the 27-year-old builder is 21-year-old Donald Pemberton of Victoria Road, St Budeaux. He also faces three counts of wounding with intent and one count of actual...
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Criminals 'rubbing their hands with glee' at prospect of Plymouth...
CRIMINALS will be "rubbing their hands with glee" at the prospect of cuts to Plymouth's police service, according to a city councillor.
Labour's Philippa Davey believes the Government has misled the public as to the scale of "savage" cuts to Devon and Cornwall Police.
Some Conservative members responded angrily during a heated exchange on Monday evening, saying the cuts are necessary as the previous Labour Government "maxed out the credit card".
Proposing a motion asking the Home Secretary to...
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Water bosses negligent in allowing pollution at Plymouth works
BOSSES at South West Water spent too much time making excuses and not enough tackling problems at a troublesome city sewage works, a court has ruled.
Judge Ian Lawrie fined the company £214,000 for allowing too much pollution into the water from the ageing Camels Head plant.
Giving his full reasons for the sentence at Plymouth Crown Court last month, he said that managers had been negligent in ignoring "warning signs" that the equipment would fail.
Judge Lawrie said it was a "matter of...
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Princess Yachts boss chose contractor against recommendation,...
A SENIOR Princess Yachts boss chose a contractor for a major building project after its consultants recommended another firm, a fraud trial has been told.
Facilities manager Glyn Thompson, aged 57, appointed Elite Facility Solutions to demolish buildings for the luxury boatmakers at their site in South Yard of Devonport Dockyard.
That company is accused of colluding with Thompson in defrauding the luxury boatmaker.
Two of its directors have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to siphon money...
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Aftermath of New Year attack is revealed in Tanis Bhandari trial
Witnesses have revealed how seriously injured Tanis Bhandari and his friends were in the attack on New Year's Eve.
Donald Pemberton faces charges or murder and serious wounding.
One of the men in Tanis Bhandari's group today revealed how he recalled seeing the builder "absolutely covered" in blood.
In a statement read to the court by prosecutor Simon Laws QC, Dale Wheeler explained how he recalled seeing Sean Cordon on the ground with another person.
He noted how Sean's back was bloodied and...
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Bogus charity collector hunted by police after targeting Plymouth...
A BOGUS charity collector is being hunted after knocking on doors in part of Plymouth.
Police say the woman claimed to be collecting money for Scope when she rang doorbells in Efford last Friday, November 20.
Scope have confirmed that they are not currently active in sending out collectors in the Plymouth area.
The suspected con-woman was described as white, in her early 20s, smartly dressed in dark coloured clothing.
She was wearing makeup and had a scarf over her head due to the rain at the...
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Tanis trial: Man who lost kidney and spleen after attack begged...
JURORS in the murder trial of Tanis Bhandari heard how a young man who was stabbed in the back pleaded with his mother "don't let me die".
A video interview with Jamie Healy, recorded by police on January 9, the day after he had been discharged from hospital, was shown to jurors at Plymouth Crown Court.
On trial for the joint murder of the 27-year-old builder is 21-year-old Donald Pemberton of Victoria Road, St Budeaux. He also faces three counts of wounding with intent and one count of actual...
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Witness speaks of Tanis "absolutely covered" in blood
ONE of the men in Tanis' group revealed how he recalled seeing the builder "absolutely covered" in blood.
In a statement read to the court by prosecutor Simon Laws QC, Dale Wheeler explained how he recalled seeing Sean Cordon on the ground with another person. He noted how Sean's back was bloodied and he tried in vain to move him, saying "I did not realise what was going on".
He wrote: "I remember getting Sean up and walking him to Station Road."
He said Mr Cordon said he was okay and then saw...
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