Taxi Driver Online

Devizes taxi boss talks of betrayal

4:00pm Saturday 10th September 2011

Devizes Taxis boss Glenn Sharp has spoken of his feelings of betrayal after his former business partner was convicted of 14 counts of fraud and theft.

David Ascough, 65, from Coate, near Devizes, was found guilty of 14 out of 19 charges connected with his handling of the finances at Freeway Vehicle Hire, the former holding company operating as Devizes Taxis, at Winchester Crown Court last Friday.

Mr Sharp said he was devastated to find out that the man who he counted as one of his closest friends could steal money from the company in which they were both directors.

Mr Sharp and Mr Ascough knew each other through their membership of the Baptist Church in Devizes. Mr Sharp said: “We struck up quite a good friendship. When I was a franchise driver for Devizes Taxis I asked his advice about getting a second car. ”

The men teamed up to buy the business from founder David Hollister.

But Mr Sharp became suspicious when the company encountered financial difficulties just after two employees, Deborah Amor and Mike Mizen, each invested £15,000 in the business.

Mr Sharp said: “I wanted to know where all the money had gone.”

He went through the company’s books and was shocked by what he found. Over £20,000 had been lent to Ascough’s son’s business, Sands Home Search, although it had already been repaid.

The discovery led Mr Sharp to examine the cheque book for an HSBC account that Mr Ascough had opened in the company’s name. He found a cheque stub for £2,000 described as being for Mrs Amor’s deposit on a car. Mr Sharp requested to see the cheque itself and it had been made out to Mr Ascough.

In all, Ascough was convicted of fraud and theft amounting to over £30,000.

Mr Sharp said: “The overwhelming feeling is of betrayal. Because of what he did Freeway Vehicle Hire, the company Dave Hollister set up 36 years ago, had to go into administration.”

Mr Sharp bought the company and it is now trading profitably, but not without its share of pain. Mr Sharp said: “I had to make five people redundant. That was a very hard decision.”

Following his conviction, Ascough was released on bail until he appears for sentencing on September 30.

Source; http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/ ... _betrayal/

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