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Catch 22 for illegal angler

A Sudbury man was fined GBP150 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of GBP700 by Swaffham Magistrates Court on 20 February, after failing to turn up for a hearing.

The man was unable to produce a rod licence when challenged by an Environment Agency bailiff last June at Catch 22 Fishery in Norfolk. He later informed the court that he wished to plead not guilty to the charge of fishing without a valid rod licence and also that he would be unable to attend the hearing. He was advised that the court could find him guilty in his absence if he did not attend.
 
Environmental Crime Officer Rupert Pyett said: ‘The onus in law is for the angler to prove that he is correctly licensed to fish. He was unable to do this. The court was informed that there was no record of a current valid licence on the Environment Agency database.’
 
The amount of costs awarded in this case reflect the fact that two Agency staff were required attend court to give evidence.