£160k Famous Grouse whisky theft at Coventry warehouse - driver jailed - The Coventry Observer

£160k Famous Grouse whisky theft at Coventry warehouse - driver jailed

Coventry Editorial 26th Apr, 2017   0

AN artic driver who took part in the theft of £160,000 worth of whisky from a Coventry distribution centre has been jailed.

Paramjit Singh had pleaded guilty to the theft from the Co-op distribution centre on the Prologis Park in Coventry.

But he had entered his plea on the basis that he had no idea of the goods he had been recruited to collect, or of their potential value, which was not accepted by the prosecution.

At Warwick Crown Court, Judge Richard Griffith-Jones said he did not believe Singh did not know what was being loaded into his trailer.




Singh (31) of Mattox Road, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, was jailed for 12 months after the judge rejected an argument that the sentence could be suspended.

Prosecutor Justin Jarmola said that on February 27 last year the distribution centre received a call, supposedly from a supplier, saying there was an issue with a batch of Famous Grouse whisky.


Staff were told that, as a result, the supplier needed to take back 12 pallets of the whisky.

Singh arrived at the depot in his Renault articulated lorry which was loaded with 12 pallets of Famous Grouse worth a total of £161,000 after he had handed over false paperwork, and left.

The theft was not discovered until March 8 when the supplier said it had not taken the consignment back.

Mr Jarmola said it was clear the theft had been partly ‘an inside job,’ and three employees were suspended and interviewed, but no further action was taken against them.

In response to his barrister Jasvir Mann, Singh said he had worked as a driver for a transport company, but would also do ‘foreigners.’

“I received a phone call from somebody. I can’t remember the name. It was a random phone call. They asked me to do this job. It was a cash job.”

He said an arrangement was made for him to pick up some documentation in a layby near to Coventry, and when he turned up he was met by three men who gave him the paperwork and altered the number plates of his artic.

Judge Griffith-Jones asked him: “You are asking me to believe that there were people who trusted you with so much stolen goods, and you don’t know who they are?”

Singh replied: “They offered me £500 to do this job, and I thought OK.”

Questioned by Mr Jarmola, Singh said he remained in his cab for the whole of the time he was at the Co-op depot, and did not know what was being loaded into his trailer.

“I took it to the same layby. They said it was a high value load, so they could not show me where they were taking it. They told me it was spirits.

“They took the lorry and left me in the layby. They said they would be a few minutes, but it was half an hour, and I was paid £500 in cash,” he added – without explaining why he would let people he said he didn’t know drive off in his vehicle.

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