Driving school faces i. 18 alleged offences span 1988 to 1994 By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter dangclo@nsnews.com THE co-owner of North Shore Driving School, charged with tax evasion in connection with $263,109 of alleged unreported income testified last week that one of her trusted driving instruc- tors pressured her into a love affair. “He (Neil Lockhart) kept going after me to go into a romantic relationship. I told him I was happily married and did not want to be involved,” said Josephine Sally Briton. est’ Vancouver. resi- dent, on the stand with her husband and co-accused B Briton watching, said she final- ly succumbed to the pressure. “It is very embarrassing, for ¢... He said 1 could trust him... I eventually gave in,” said Josephine Briton. Parents collected $350,000 believes the provincial govern- ment has too much centralized control of education. North Vancouver Parent Advisory Council co-chairman Susan Carson _ backed Heywood’s call to give back taxin; WOES school boards. n said the refer- endum result reveals that refer- endum is not the best way to raise funds. At the same time, fundrais- ing puts an‘ unfair burden on parents, Carson said. “Parents are now the silent financial backers of the system and i don’t think that’s recog- nized by the provincial govern- ment and the comniunity at large,” she said. She added that government funding should cover the costs of programs mandated by Victoria. Last year, parents raised $350,000 for technology in the district. School district assistant superintendent Paul Killeen said there is approximately $3,000 in the 1997-98 budget going to technology. In addition, the 18,000- student school board is await- ing a technology grant that tase year totalled $16 a pupil Killeen said the district does not have enough funds to con- nect schools to the Provincial Learning Network, which is expected to become a curricu- lum centre for schools in B.C. The province says — its mandatory to hook up, said Killeen. “Where would the money come from for us to connect to that? I have no idea, It doesn’t matter because we won’t be connecting anyway,” he said. “We have nothing to hook up.” rr ee Following, investigation by the Department of National Revenue, the Britons and North Shore Driving School were charged last June with 18 counts of avoiding $56,197 worth of tax on $263,109 of unreported income, according to the national revenue depart- ment. The alleged —_ offences spanned from 1988 to 1994 and involved both business and personal income tax. The charges laid under the Income Tax Act allege tax evasion and making false or deceptive state- ments. The Britons have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Josephine Briton’s former lover and a North Shore Driving School employee of 15 years, Neil Lockhart, was called to testify during trial proceed- ings earlier this month. Lockhart who made finan- ciai leger entries for the compa- ny was called as a witmess by prosecuting federal Crown jawyer Lyndsay Smith. On April 15 in North Vancouver provincial court, Josephine Briton took the stand as a defence witness. Briton’s — lawyer, — Bob Breivik, asked his client ques- tions relating to Lockhart’s tes- timony. Lockhart, the defence lawyer recapped, testificd that 183 Persbertos fae, TALK 985-71 95 gers Josephine Briton had “pursued the driving school manager over a period of time.” Lockhart used the words “sex- ual harassment” to describe the situation. “It’s not true,” said Josephine Briton to her lawyer. Lockhart testified the love affair began around the time of Expo 86. Josephine Briton made sev- eral contradictory statements about Lockhart during her tes- timony. Josephine Briton _ said Lockhart was easily angered, not easy to get along with and could be manipulative. “Neil and I worked well together,” said Josephine Bnton, during her testimony. She also testified that she trusted Lockhart “100%” in relation to financial matters. “¥ had no reason to doubt or be suspicious of him,” testi- fied Josephine Briton. Lockhart was hired in 1979. He became a manager for the school around 1980. He was in charge of the truck driving instruction at the company. The driving school’s main office is located in North Vancouver, Josephine Briton denied that Lockhart ever told the Britons they were taking money from the company and ING "SPRIN G FAIR Saturday April 26 10am-3pm BARGAINS GALORE & Family Fun! 70 Morven Dr., West Van Shuttle bus @ St. David's United Church Taylor Way & Upper Levei’s Highway or West Van Seniors Centre, 695-2 1st Street that North Shore Driving School was a hollow shell which only looked profitable. She testified that she and her husband had considered fir- ing Lockhart because of the way Lockhart treated nwo employces he intended to fire. Josephine Briton denicd Lockhart’s statements that he had confronted the Britons in their West Vancouver home about misappropriated funds from North Shore Driving School. Josephine Briton said Lockhart was jealous that he did not own the driving schoo! and felt he wasn’t adequately rewarded. “When he was unhappy, he threatened to quit,” said Josephine Briton. Josephine Briton testified that Lockhart was dissatisfied with the holiday pay he received when he finally did quit a few years ago. She denied Lockhart’s testi- mony that she would sit down regularly “to reconcile” the dri- ving school’s financial ledger. Josephine Briton said that when her initials appeared at the bortom of ledger pages it couia mean that she was spot checking to see if student record cards were being recorded properly, Josephine Briton said her VWadnesday, April 23, 1997 — North Shore News — 5 ix Char ges | husband, Byron, was not an “office person” and was not actively involved in the financial books. When Judge Doug Moss left the courtroom for the afternoon break, Josephine Briton walked off the witness stand and directly to a News reporter. She requested that her affair with her former employee not be included in a FACTORY FUTON Satrance in fear lane News story. After the break was over and