Entrepreneur got staff to take speeding points for her
A LEADING businesswoman drew 10 employees into a speeding points scam after she clocked up dozens of offences with multiple Range Rovers, a court heard.
Anne Ganley, who previously received an OBE for services to employment, approached staff at A Thompson & Sons, the builder’s merchant where she was a director, and asked them to take points on her behalf.
The 59-year-old, who is also a former North East entrepreneur of the year, was only caught out after camera footage was studied and showed her at the wheel of the speeding vehicles at the time of the offences.
Ganley admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice at Newcastle Crown Court and was yesterday sentenced to two and a half years in jail.
After sentencing, Northumbria Police said Ganley had “criminalised decent people”.
Supt Nicola Musgrove added: “[She] has shattered her reputation and completely abused her authority and I’m sure people of Sunderland and beyond will be outraged and hugely disappointed in her.”
The court heard police investigated 30 separate offences involving cars registered to the company, which has now folded, with all bar one in relation to speeding. The other related to contravening a red light. Ganley admitted 14 of the offences, perpetrated between December 2006 and early 2012.
Christopher Knox, prosecuting, described the defendants, who included Ganley’s son Brent Ganley and Thomas Barraclough, a workshop manager, as being “part of a large conspiracy”.
A number of employees said they felt they had to take part in the scheme. One said Ganley had paid for his private surgery when he suffered an injury while another said his wife was pregnant and he felt his job was at stake.