Bangor Mail

PRIVATE EYE WAS KNOCKED DOWN

... by road sweeper he’d caught siphoning off council diesel

- Eryl Crump

A ROAD sweeper suspected of siphoning fuel from his council vehicle knocked over a private detective who’d been hired to tail him when he was caught in the act.

Investigat­or Michael Naughton was knocked down by the machine being driven by Ian Ellis, when the two came face to face in Bangor.

Mr Naughton had confronted Ellis after following the signal being sent by a GPS tracker he’d fitted to the road sweeper.

Ellis had been suspected of stealing fuel, and Gwynedd council decided to hire an investigat­or to carry out surveillan­ce on the 52-year-old.

In early August, the tracker revealed the vehicle was at Lon Popty, Bangor.

Prosecutor Diane Williams told Caernarfon magistrate­s court that “when he arrived there was a strong smell of diesel and signs of fresh fuel on the ground”.

She added: “There was a grey hose in a hedge and Mr Naughton found a place to hide and keep watch.”

Ellis arrived and, using the hose, siphoned fuel from the vehicle into a black container which he then put in a black binbag.

“Mr Naughton rang police and asked officers to attend and approached the defendant. He asked him to switch off the engine and wait the arrival of the officers,” she said.

Ellis drove off. After realising Mr Naughton was on the ground, he stopped the vehicle and went back and spoke with him but then drove away.

Police later arrested Ellis at the depot. Initially he told officers he denied theft, and went to Lon Popty to have his lunch and was simply cleaning the vehicle.

Shown the video footage taken by Mr Naughton, however, he admitted charges of theft and driv- ing without due care and attention.

Ellis was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work for stealing the fuel and fined £300 for the driving offence. Eight penalty points will be imposed on his licence. He must also pay £170 costs and £22 compensati­on.

Sion Hughes, defending, said Ellis, of Hafod Oleu, Deiniolen, was “deeply ashamed” at being hauled before the court.

“He did not intend to cause harm. He’d been caught stealing and panicked. He thought he was clear to drive off but he wasn’t and struck Mr Naughton and apologises to him,” he said.

Ellis, he added, had worked for Gwynedd council for 17 years but had since resigned and found other employment as a driver.

He conceded there were aggravatin­g features and a breach of trust but asked the court to give Ellis credit for his guilty plea and to spare him from a driving ban which would affect his job.

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 ??  ?? Ian Ellis knocked over private investigat­or Michael Naughton (inset) after being caught siphoning diesel from his council vehicle
Ian Ellis knocked over private investigat­or Michael Naughton (inset) after being caught siphoning diesel from his council vehicle

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