Sunderland businesswoman jailed for paying people to take speed points

An award-winning businesswoman from Sunderland has been jailed after she criminalised decent people'' by paying her employees to take speeding points on her behalf.

59 year old Anne Ganley, who was awarded an OBE in 2013, admitted 14 offences relating to the scam that lasted more than 5 years.

Accused of perverting the course of justice, the former head of builders' merchants Thompson & Sons Ltd was jailed for 30 months along with her son, Brent Ganley, who was jailed for 9 months.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that after receiving speeding tickets, Ganley would offer cash to her workers, including one who was a pensioner, if they took the points for her.

Ganley received the OBE in recognition of her services to employment, industry, her local community and her charity work.

In the same year, the former North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year was declared bankrupt after a winding-up petition from HM Revenue and Customs had forced her company into administration.

Superintendent Nicola Musgrove of Northumbria Police said:

This has been an intricate and sensitive case that has hugely impacted on the lives of those who have sadly been dragged into this ordeal. The team has done a fantastic job in getting to the bottom of this investigation and now, Anne and Brent Ganley are now serving a prison sentence for their selfish actions.

I hope this shows that no one is above the law and how someone such as Anne Ganley, who has been so well-respected in the community, has shattered her reputation and completely abused her authority and I'm sure people of Sunderland and beyond will be outraged and hugely disappointed in her.

She has criminalised decent people.''

The others sentenced were Thomas Barraclough, 68, from Sunderland, jailed for six months.

Joseph Dobbie, 71, from Sunderland, sentenced to six months suspended for 18 months.

Gavin Hazard, 35, from Sunderland, sentenced to 12 months suspended for 18 months and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Michael Turner, 50, from East Herrington, was sentenced to nine months suspended for 18 months and 120 hours of unpaid work.

Ruth Pilmore, 62, from Sunderland, was sentenced to five months suspended for 18 months and 100 hours of unpaid work.

James Green, 63, from Sunderland, was sentenced to six months suspended for 18 months and 80 hours of unpaid work.

Michael Flynn, 56 from Sunderland, was sentenced to eight months suspended for 18 months and 120 hours of unpaid work.

Kelly Todd, 35, from Sunderland, was sentenced to six months suspended for 18 months and 100 hours of unpaid work.

David Elliot, 38, from Sunderland, was sentenced to six months suspended for 18 months and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Wayne Cullen, 44, from Hetton-le-Hole, was sentenced to six months suspended for 18 months and 100 hours of unpaid work.