Fake hijack lorry driver jailed

Brian Fogg pretended he had been attacked and bound up by hijackers

A Lancashire lorry driver has been jailed for five-and-a-half years after claiming to be the victim of a million-pound cigarette heist.

Brian Fogg, 47, of Draperfield, Chorley, tied himself up before police found him inside his cab in August 2008, Liverpool Crown Court was told.

He told officers men posing as Vehicle and Operator Services Agency officials threatened him and hijacked his lorry.

A jury convicted Fogg of conspiring to steal the cigarettes.

The court heard he also had previous convictions for grievous bodily harm and stealing from a previous employer.

Fogg claimed the men had made him pull his lorry over on the M53 near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. They then made him drive to Chester Service Station where the cigarettes were transferred to another trailer.

Brian Fogg identified weaknesses in the freight haulage business and exploited them to fuel his own greed Det Insp Giles Orton, Cheshire Police

However, the court heard he was at the centre of the conspiracy but refused to admit it.

He maintained he was forced to drive to Killingholme Docks in north Lincolnshire where he was assaulted, bound and gagged and left unconscious.

When detectives took him on the journey he claimed he made, he broke down in tears and they realised his story was full of gaps.

His performance was so dramatic it was "worthy of actors on the stage of the Liverpool Playhouse", said Judge John Phipps.

When detectives arrested him, he then invented another account, the court was told.

In the second scenario, he claimed he was approached by a group of Irishmen while on a cross-Channel ferry, who produced pictures of his family and he only went along with the theft under duress.

Det Insp Giles Orton, from Cheshire Police, said: "Brian Fogg identified weaknesses in the freight haulage business and exploited them to fuel his own greed.

'Blatant contempt'

"His actions allowed his co-conspirators to distribute the stolen goods beyond trace.

"Fogg was treated with respect and compassion when he presented himself as a vulnerable victim of a seemingly terrifying crime. However, cracks started to appear in his account.

"His blatant disregard and contempt for prosecuting authorities have since come to light, and now he will face the consequences of his actions.

"It is hoped that the publicity surrounding this case will prompt road haulage companies to review their internal security measures, particularly in relation to conducting background checks on the individuals they employ."