GEORGE SNOWDON FROM WALLSEND ALLOWED TO KEEP COACH DRIVER LICENCE DESPITE SEX OFFENCE CONVICTION IN NOVEMBER 2002

In a significant legal decision made in November 2002, Geoffrey Snowdon, a coach driver based in Wallsend, was permitted to continue his employment despite having a conviction for a sex offence. Snowdon, aged 46 at the time, had previously been convicted in February 2000 of committing two indecent assaults on a 15-year-old girl during a school trip to Spain. Following his conviction, he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of five years and was sentenced to complete 100 hours of community service.

However, a recent ruling by the High Court has challenged the implications of his registration status concerning his ability to hold a passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) licence. The court decided that being on the Sex Offenders Register does not automatically disqualify an individual from holding a licence to operate public transport vehicles, such as coaches and buses. This decision came after the North Tyneside magistrates had previously allowed Snowdon to retain his PCV licence, which is essential for his continued employment as a coach driver.

Lawyers representing Transport Secretary Alistair Darling expressed their concern over the ruling, emphasizing the potential safety implications. Despite this, Justice Pleming clarified that the registration on the Sex Offenders Register is not incompatible with holding a PCV licence. The case has sparked debate about whether all drivers with sex offence convictions should be barred from operating public transport vehicles while their names remain on the sex offenders’ register.

At the time of the incident, Snowdon was employed by Cantabrica Coaches, a company he had been working for since 1996. After serving his sentence, he was reinstated by the company and has continued to work for them, primarily taking family groups on holidays across Europe. His trips are usually accompanied by another driver and a hostess, ensuring safety and supervision.

Following the court’s decision, Snowdon publicly expressed his distress, stating, “I have had bricks through my window, and there were children in my house at the time.” The judge’s ruling highlighted that Snowdon relies heavily on his licence for his livelihood. The court acknowledged that passengers, especially women and children, need to trust the driver’s ability to ensure their safety and well-being.

In his testimony, Snowdon mentioned that he has been employed by Cantabrica Coaches for six years and that he is no longer involved with children directly. He also noted that he has driven approximately 48,000 miles since his conviction without any further offences or disciplinary issues. The judge pointed out that if Parliament intended to automatically disqualify individuals with sex offence convictions from holding a PCV licence, it would have explicitly stated so. Instead, the court emphasized that each case should be considered in its full context, taking into account the circumstances and the individual’s conduct since the offence.