Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
By pullup
#1857869
In the CAA’s eyes Illegal Public Transport is the number one offence very closely followed by forged documentation. There will be a lot more to this case than we are aware of.

I doubt there will be any appeal this time. Following the last offence at Coventry he appealed and lost. The following is copied from the nickwilcock post above:

“ Judge Berlin said the fines imposed by the magistrates should remain – but increased the costs Harbottle has to pay from £4,500 to £19,689 to cover the cost to the CAA of the appeal.”

Imagine the extra costs on a £175,000 fine if he was to lose the appeal...
Flyin'Dutch' liked this
#1869052
2Donkeys wrote:I don't know any particular details of the case beyond what has been reported, but I do note that this is not the pilot's first encounter with enforcement

AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED BY FLYER

I also see via companies house (as suggested by @Flyin'Dutch') that he has less than salubrious business associates as the man that stepped into the shoes of Robert Murgatroyd in 2013 when Murgatroyd resigned the majority of his directorships.

Harbottle was at the helm when two of these Murgatroyd vehicles, British Northwest Airways Ltd, Flyblackpool Ltd were struck off for non-filing at Companies House and another, Blackpool Northwest Handling Ltd went into receivership.

I suspect that there is a good deal more to the background to this case and the severity of the enforcement action than has been reported.



He (RM) gave evidence against him
#1869142
Dave W wrote:The surcharge is pooled in the 'Victim & Witness General Fund'. It is not linked to the victim (if any) of a particular crime.


<explanatory drift>

It helps pay for the administrative costs of the volunteer witness support services. The volunteers walk prosecution witnesses on pretrial visits to courtrooms through the physical layout of the courtrooms, court buildings and procedures (without discussing their evidence, obviously), and sit with them in the prosecution witnesses' room until they are called. They also set up and run video evidence technology for vulnerable (eg but not only youth) witnesses' testimony, from another room in the court building or more remotely. This helps witnesses not be intimidated about appearing at all. Quite a few trials, especially in Magistrates' Courts, lead to defendants' changing pleas to Guilty when they see that a witness has turned up.

[I know some of these volunteers; more are always welcome]

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Hooligan liked this