Taxi Driver Online

Businessmen both at centre of serious investigations

HIGH-profile businessmen John Preece and John Kingdom have both been at the centre of serious investigations it emerged as the pair came face to face during a dramatic fourth day in the High Court.

Bespoke tailor Mr Kingdom was involved in an investigation about a theft allegation at a Masonic Lodge and Taxifast tycoon Mr Preece was probed about payments to an unnamed Plymouth City Councillor, the hearing, in Bristol, heard.

And, as Mr Kingdom cross-examined Mr Preece for a whole day in the civil hearing, it emerged both men suspected each other of initiating the investigations.

Mr Kingdom, boss of Stitches Tailoring, also accused Mr Preece of being ‘envious’ of his lifestyle, and said the end of their 20-year friendship had felt like ‘a divorce’.

Mr Preece denied there had been such a friendship and also a raft of accusations put by Mr Kingdom.

The Taxifast chairman repeatedly claimed the cross-examination to be a ‘fishing expedition’ and called Mr Kingdom a ‘poisonous Walter Mitty’.

Key Cabs, which trades as Taxifast, is suing Mr Kingdom, and ex-Taxifast employees Phil Manning and Dean Ruffles for conspiracy to injure and harassment. It alleges they conspired to make phone calls to event management firm Expotel which damaged a major business deal it was working on with Key Cabs’ Taxibank operation.

Taxifast also claims the defendants told Plymouth private hire drivers it was in financial trouble and published damaging newsletters containing allegations about the firm’s finance and Mr Preece’s private life.

The three defendants, who are representing themselves at the Chancery Division hearing in Bristol, admit they wrote the newsletters but deny circulating them. They deny the other allegations but are also claiming Taxifast’s finances are not as healthy as the firm had said.

On the third day, the trial had heard how there is an on-going probe by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs into tax matters relating to Mr Preece.

But it also emerged the man ‘responsible’ for the investigation being called was Mr Kingdom.

As the trial took another dramatic twist, Mr Kingdom yesterday asked Mr Preece about whether he had spoken to Mr Ruffles about an investigation at the Mount Edgecumbe Masonic Hall where Mr Kingdom had been a bar manager, and an allegation of theft.

Mr Preece said: “I really don’t know.”

But then said: “You are out of your lodge, you are no longer a member of that lodge.”

Mr Kingdom asked: “Have you sent information to another lodge member?”

Mr Preece replied: “I am not a free mason, I have never wanted to be a free mason.”

Mr Kingdom asked if he had supplied information about court cases Mr Kingdom had been involved with, and Mr Preece said: “No.”

“Are you saying your company and you have never supplied any information?” asked Mr Kingdom.

“I can only talk about me and I have never supplied any information,” Mr Preece answered.

Mr Kingdom then produced a letter from the Masonic hall’s trustees which he said proved his ‘integrity’.

He asked Mr Preece if he had been behind a customs investigation into a rival Plymouth taxi firm, for ‘selling tobacco and red diesel’.

Mr Preece said he had not.

The taxi mogul was also questioned about an allegation that he had ‘bribed’ a Plymouth City Councillor and was quizzed by police.

“The allegation was that I had given the money to get contracts for myself,” said Mr Preece. “The police said there was no reason to be concerned, they wanted to clear up certain allegations.”

He explained his firm had carried out a transport survey, and admitted trying to get ‘a question about taxi buses in there’ but stressed: “That’s not bribing.”

He added: “They just wanted to know if I lent money to someone, as I do to a lot of people.”

Mr Kingdom asked if a company cheque had been paid to a woman, who then wrote a cheque to the unnamed city councillor.

“Did I make a contribution to the Liberal Democrats? Yes I did,” Mr Preece answered. “But I have also made contributions to the Conservative Party, as I still do, you know that.”

At this point Mr Kingdom admitted he had made a statement about this to police, saying they came to him because of his long friendship with Mr Preece.

He asked: “Was it a donation to that particular councillor for her party?”

Mr Preece said: “I can’t remember I think it was for the Liberal Democrat Party.”

During the heated questioning Mr Preece had said: “You tried to destroy people.”

He also accused Mr Kingdom of ‘plaguing’ him, and referred to a High Court hearing last year when Mr Kingdom was handed a suspended jail sentence for contempt after making allegations.

Mr Kingdom asked if he had ‘stopped’ when asked to, but Mr Preece said: “No, you did not stop harassing me, no.”

During yesterday’s hearing Mr Kingdom said: “We were friends for 20 years. I consider our friendship was broken like a divorced couple.”

Mr Preece replied: “There was never any friendship, you have been doing things behind my back.”

Mr Kingdom asked: “Have you ever been envious of me?”

Mr Preece replied: “I would never be envious of you John – I pity you.”

Mr Kingdom answered: “I have a fabulous wife, two children, I live in probably a much better house than you do, I have my own business premises – you have ended up, at 66, living in someone else’s house, with the business problems you have and no family whatsoever, why?”

Mr Preece said: “You have been pretty crass and stupid. I have said nothing about you.”

Later Mr Preece accused Mr Kingdom of being ‘a poisonous Walter Mitty’, while Mr Kingdom referred to language used in Taxifast newsletters, Mr Preece’s relations with the city council and his record on bringing litigation, and asked Mr Preece: “Do you consider yourself to be a bully?”

Mr Preece said: “No.”

The trial continues.

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IDFIMH

'FBI called in on property deals'

ALLEGATIONS about taxi mogul John Preece's property dealings in America were made to the famous Federal Bureau of Investigation by bespoke Plymouth tailor John Kingdom, the High Court has heard.

As the civil action brought by Mr Preece and his Keycabs company went into a sensational fifth day in Bristol, Mr Kingdom admitted contacting the FBI.

But the allegation was described as 'nonsense' and an 'attempt to cause confusion' by Mr Preece's barrister David Fletcher.

The court also heard that Mr Kingdom had amassed 22 tape recordings of conversations with people described as 'disgruntled' with Mr Preece.

Yesterday the court was told about more allegations, this time about the world-famous FBI.

Mr Fletcher said that an email had been sent to the FBI in Las Vegas but said that the email address had been spelt incorrectly with an 'A' instead of an 'E' in Las Vegas.

Mr Fletcher said: "If it had been a real email it would have been spelt 'Vegas'."

But Mr Kingdom stressed: "I have spoken to the FBI. It is not a spoof. I may have faxed it to them."

Mr Fletcher asked: "You think you may have faxed it to the FBI in Las Vegas? Do they have FBI in Las Vegas?"

Mr Kingdom said: "No, the London office."

Mr Fletcher said: "It is a nonsense, another attempt to cause confusion."

He said the allegation referred to a mortgage Mr Preece had on a house in Nevada but asked how Mr Kingdom had information about such dealings and indeed whether what Mr Preece was alleged to have done was even illegal.

Keycabs, which trades as Taxifast, is suing Mr Kingdom and two ex-Taxifast employees, Phil Manning and Dean Ruffles, for conspiracy to injure and harasssment.

The firm claims they damaged a major business deal between Keycabs' Taxibank operation and event management firm Expotel.

It is alleged they did this via phone calls to Expotel and two newsletters containing allegations about Taxifast finances and the private life of Mr Preece.

The defendants admit writing the newsletters but deny circulating them, claiming they were designed as a private joke. They deny the other allegations.

There was also further discussion about allegations made about the Taxifast chairman, Mr Preece, to the police and the Inland Revenue, regarding his tax position.

The court heard more about allegations made by Mr Kingdom to the Inland Revenue about another prominent Plymouth businessman which resulted in, the court heard 'that man having to pay £400,000'.

Mr Fletcher told Mr Kingdom he was 'a serial reporter to the Inland Revenue', which Mr Kingdom denied.

Earlier the court had heard that allegations had been made to police and taxmen about Mr Preece and these were still being investigated.

Mr Kingdom was alleged in court to have been 'responsible' for those inquiries.

The court also heard that allegations of theft at a Masonic Lodge to which Mr Kingdom belongs had been made and Mr Kingdom has quizzed Mr Preece about whether he had passed information to that lodge.

Mr Fletcher also said that reporting Mr Preece to police and the Inland Revenue was an 'attempt to intimidate him'.

Mr Kingdom replied: "No, sir".

He said that he received information from 'disgruntled employees' and added 'there were a lot'.

Earlier Mr Fletcher had asked Mr Kingdom if he had written to Taxifast managing director Simon Hirst alleging 'Mr Preece was mentally unstable'.

Mr Kingdom replied: "Yes".

Mr Kingdom also said his memory was cloudy on some matters because 'I have been on Valium for 18 months'.

However, when he was grilled about the two newsletters he denies sending and various emails he admitting sending to Mr Preece he repeatedly stressed they had been intended as 'spoofs'.

He said one newsletter had been written by Mr Manning and the other by him, though he alleged that a copy which fell into the hands of Taxifast had been altered.

He said of the newsletter he authored: "It is a wind-up".

Mr Kingdom said his only involvement with a rival taxi firm called Unicabs was as a potential landlord.

The civil trial in The Chancellory Division and before his Hon Judge Mark Havelock-Allan was scheduled to end on Thursday but will now go into next week.

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IDFIMH

I thought I'd been a bad lad, he makes me look like a prince.

Tears in the dock over '£10,000 offer'

EX-TAXIFAST operations manager Dean Ruffles broke down in tears after accusing his co-defendant John Kingdom of bullying him and offering £10,000 to give false information to the court during a sensational six-day high court trial involving taxi mogul John Preece.

Mr Ruffles, who is being sued by Mr Preece’s Key Cabs firm, amazed the court when he said: “John Kingdom offered me 10 grand to get me to admit to everything. He’s a bully.”

Mr Kingdom called the allegation “unfounded.”

Mr Ruffles, bespoke tailor to Mr Kingdom, and ex-Taxifast employee Phil Manning, are being sued by Key Cabs, which trades as Taxifast, for conspiracy to injure and harassment.

The firm claims they damaged a major business deal between Key Cabs’ Taxibank operation and events management firm Expotel.

It’s alleged the trio did this via telephone calls to Expotel and two news letters containing allegations about Taxifast’s finances and the private life of its chairman Mr Preece, particularly regarding an affair he had with Mr Ruffles’ wife Jane Ruffles in 2007.

Yesterday the Chancery Division in Bristol heard Mr Ruffles claim he had been caught up in a “battle” between Mr Kingdom and Mr Preece, a man Mr Kingdom had described as being a close friend and confidant.

Barrister David Fletcher, for Key Cabs, asked Mr Ruffles about the nature of the alleged bullying.

Mr Ruffles replied: “Bullying and offering me money to make false statements to the court. I’ve been bullied all the time.

“Mr Kingdom said it would be better if I just admitted to everything.”

His honour judge Mark Havelock-Allan asked the circumstances surrounding the alleged offer of money. Mr Ruffles said it happened around the time of the pre-trial hearing last month.

Mr Fletcher said to Mr Ruffles: “You are trying to get yourself off the hook by blaming Mr Kingdom.”

Under re-examination by Mr Manning, Mr Ruffles said he had not been offered cash by Mr Preece.

Later, during a failed bid to introduce new evidence, Mr Kingdom claimed Mr Ruffles had “succumbed to pressure.”

He said : “The allegations are scurrilous and completely unfounded.”

During an emotional morning in court Mr Ruffles said that after leaving Taxifast he had been involved in setting up a rival cab firm, Unicabs, which received a Plymouth City Council license but never traded.

He said this was because “my wife and kids had left me and gone to John Preece. I wanted to have a company and hopefully my wife and kids would come back.”

He admitted to meeting Mr Kingdom and Mr Manning about the firm but later dropped out fearing it would affect a new job he had with another Plymouth cab firm.

He said he had been “stitched up” when he was tape recorded by ex-taxi driver Matj Lehocky, trying to solicit drivers to leave Taxifast and join Unicabs, but he nevertheless admitted doing this.

Mr Fletcher asked him “You were trying to cause deliberate damage to Mr Preece.”

He replied: “Yes because he had taken my wife, stripped me of everything.”

And he accused Mr Preece of “grooming” his wife but he did not challenge Mr Fletcher when he said Mr Preece and Mrs Ruffles were not involved with each other at the time she left her husband, and Mr Raffles subsequently left his job at Taxifast in early January 2007.

Mr Fletcher also put to him that there was “no substance” in allegations that Mr Preece and Taxifast were in financial difficulties. Mr Ruffles accepted this.

However, he denied being the person who made two telephone calls to Expotel and said: “I swear on my kids’ life I’ve never spoken to Expotel.”

The court heard he had been shown two news letter, one which included a “love letter” concerning Mr Preece and Mrs Ruffles.

Mr Manning has admitted to writing this news letter and when Mr Ruffles was asked about how Mr Manning had acquired the love letter he said: “ I gave a lot of paperwork to Mr Manning.”

He said Mr Kingdom, who has admitted writing the other newsletter, had asked him for a photo of his wife, told him he was going to produce a newsletter and show it to Taxifast director David Trace, a fellow mason.

Mr Manning and Mr Kingdom don’t deny producing the newsletters but deny circulating them.

Mr Manning, also giving evidence yesterday, admitted he applied alone for the license for Unicabs, and also admitted gaining information about Mr Preece’s property deals in the USA.

But he said this was only to defend himself in the civil court.

The court heard last week how Mr Kingdom made allegations to the FBI about Mr Preece’s property dealings in Nevada.

Yesterday Mr Fletcher put it to Mr Manning that allegations that Taxifast and Mr Preece were in financial trouble were “made up.”

He said: “You are dredging up anything you can find to throw at Mr Preece.”

Mr Manning said: “I made that inquiry because I thought it was necessary to defend myself.”

Mr Manning also said the newsletter he produced was merely to cheer up Mr Ruffles, because he was “a wreck.”

He said: “It was childish, yes, I accept it was childish, but it cheered the poor guy up.”

Mr Fletcher replied: “That’s nonsense.”

He called the newsletter “a manifesto, an advertisement for Unicabs.”

He said it had been produced as part of a “war of newsletters” between Unicabs and Taxifast.

Mr Manning denied this, and also denied that he, with Mr Kingdom and Mr Ruffles, had distributed it.

He also denied it was produced to “show malice” to Mr Preece.

Mr Fletcher said: “You were out to get him.”

Mr Manning replied: “I deny it.”

Closing submissions are due to be given today.

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IDFIMH

Better than crossroads this trial

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

All we need is Benny to pop up.

No its got to be porridge for 1 of them at least

How? This is a civil case so no one can be sent to prison.

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Grandad,

Very probably correct, but there is a theoretical possibility that it could end up leading to criminal charges for lying in court.

The logic goes that at the end of a trial it's obvious that there must have been people lying through their teeth, thus committing perjury, but I believe such prosecutions are very rare.

However, you may not recall the details of the Tommy Sheridan case up here a couple of years ago, since I doubt it received much coverage in the English media.

Anyway, the socialist politician sued the News of the World over a story alleging that Sheridan took part in group sex sessions and the like in swingers' clubs, if I remember correctly (the precise details don't really matter).

Although there were lots of witnesses against him he actually won his case. However, the police launched a perjury investigation and some time later he and several others were charged, but I'm not sure what the latest on this is - I think it's still up in the air, but it certainly hasn't come to court yet.

Of course, the irony is that Sheridan and his witnesses actually won the libel case, but it's them that the police have charged with perjury.

Judgement due in taxi conspiracy court case

JUDGEMENT in the High Court case involving Plymouth businessmen John Preece and John Kingdom is expected on Friday.

Mr Preece's Key Cabs firm, which trades as Taxifast, has been suing bespoke tailor Mr Kingdom, and two ex-Taxifast employees, Phil Manning and Dean Ruffles for conspiracy to injure and harassment.

The trial ended yesterday when closing submissions were heard, on the seventh day in court at Bristol's chancery division.

His Honour Judge Mark Havelock-Allan will review the evidence and give his judgement as to liability only, to the parties on Friday.

Key Cabs has alleged the three defendants conspired to make phone calls to event management firm Expotel which damaged a major business deal it was working on with Key Cabs' Taxibank operation.

Taxifast also claimed the defendants told Plymouth private hire drivers the firm was in financial trouble and published a damaging newsletter containing other allegations.

It alleged that Mr Kingdom also wrote damaging emails.

Mr Manning and Mr Kingdom didn't deny they wrote the newsletters, or that Mr Kingdom wrote the emails, but all three defendants, representing themselves in court, denied circulating the documents to the public or taxi drivers.

They denied other allegations, including conspiring together and making telephone calls.

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IDFIMH

Judge rules Taxifast trio did conspire to damage business

CITY businessman John Kingdom and two co-defendants are facing a massive legal bill after a High Court judge decided they conspired to damage business dealings of Plymouth taxi firm Taxifast.

The trio, including ex-Taxifast employees Phil Manning, and Dean Ruffles, will face a damages hearing next year, with Taxifast expected to press for a 'substantial sum', possibly into seven figures.

They will also be hit with a costs bill in just over a week.

Bespoke tailor Mr Kingdom, described by His Honour Judge Mark Havelock-Allan, as 'consumed by resentment' for Taxifast chairman John Preece, must also pay £1,000 in damages, after it was ruled he had harassed Mr Preece.

Mr Kingdom and Mr Manning were also handed injunctions to prevent them harassing Mr Preece or his firms by spreading gossip or digging up information except as part of a legitimate police probe.

Mr Kingdom, the boss of Stitches Tailoring, is also prevented from harassing Taxifast's managing director, Simon Hirst.

After the Chancery Division hearing yesterday in Bristol, Mr Hirst told The Herald that Taxifast would not 'gloat', and said: "We are sad we had to take this action.

"It is sad for the damage to our business and for the people that would have had jobs."

During a nail-biting seven-day hearing, the court heard how Key Cabs, trading as Taxifast, said the defendants damaged a major business deal between its Taxibank arm and events management firm, Expotel.
It was heard the trio did this via telephone calls to Expotel and two newsletters containing allegations about Taxifast's finances and Mr Preece's' private life, particularly regarding an affair he had with Mr Ruffles' wife Jane Ruffles.

The newsletters also said a rival firm Unicabs had been set up and aimed to poach Taxifasts drivers.

It was alleged Mr Preece and Mr Hirst were harassed by email, texts and faxes.

Delivering his judgement yesterday, Judge Havelock-Allen found there was conspiracy by all three defendants and Mr Kingdom and Mr Manning had caused harassment.

He praised Taxifast's witnesses, particularly Mr Preece and Mr Hirst, director David Trace and driver Christopher Trevethan.

He described Mr Preece, who was not in court yesterday, as a 'successful, wealthy, self-made man'.

He said Mr Kingdom had a 'deep-seated animosity to Mr Preece', and added 'at times during this trial [it was] almost menacing'.

The judge said a 'seismic event', the cause being unknown, had occurred in late 2006 ending the men's 35-year friendship.

Mr Kingdom had then developed a bitterness which had 'clouded his judgement' and his 'resentment fuelled a vendetta', the judge said.
The judge concluded that evidence of conspiracy by the three men was 'overwhelming'.

He said: "It's clear to me that each defendant for his own reason wanted to hurt Mr Preece and his companies."

He said that for Mr Ruffles the motive was his wife's affair with Mr Preece, but for Mr Kingdom and Mr Manning it was 'animus, which drove their actions'.

The judge said there was especially no evidence of 'financial impropriety' by Mr Preece or his firms.

He concluded the allegations had caused damage to Key Cabs, Taxibank and Mr Preece's business reputation.

After the hearing Mr Kingdom said to The Herald: "The people of Plymouth know me and the claimants. I leave them to make up their own minds on who was right and who was wrong."

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I wonder how much money will be left by the time they work the figures out , one of these gentlemen strikes me as being capable of making sure there is nothing left.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

They strike me as being exceptionally stupid, perhaps our Scottish friend should take note

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

He is not Scottish, he is one of yours

You dont do subtle do you

ffs

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin