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Fishing boat owner fined over £15,600 at King's Lynn Magistrates Court




An owner of a small fishing boat has been fined £15,628 after being prosecuted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for operating an unsafe vessel and failing to comply with the code of practice.

John Lake, director of John Lake Shellfish Ltd and owner of the 13-metre fishing vessel ‘Audrey Patricia’, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to both offences.

Mr Lake was fined £4,500 for each offence, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170 and £6,458 towards the cost of the prosecution.

The boat had been subject to a pre-arranged inspection by the MCA at Boston and was found to have a catalogue of deficiencies related to emergency procedures and lifesaving equipment, which resulted in it being detained.

MCA surveyor Matt Turner, who inspected the boat, said:”This failure had put the vessel and its crew at unnecessary risk, the consequences of which could have left Mr Lake facing more serious charges.

“The MCA is determined, with our stakeholders, to improve the safety of fishermen.”

In sentencing the magistrates said that these were serious matters considering what might have happened.



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