Tag Archives: Whakatane District Court
Fisherman convicted after driving at fishery officer
A Tauranga commercial fisherman has been convicted and fined $3000 for deliberately driving his vehicle at a fishery officer who had signalled for him to pull over. Bruce William Clifford Roberts, a 50-year-old commercial fisherman, was driving his 4×4 from Port Ohope in March this year when a fishery officer, who was standing approximately 100m away from Roberts’ car, indicated to him to pull over. Roberts was convicted for behaving in a threatening manner towards a fishery officer and fined $3000 plus $130 courts costs when he appeared in the Whakatane District Court on August 3. He also had to pay a $1500 redemption fee for the return of the forfeit vehicle used in the offence. The sentencing judge took into account Roberts’ early guilty plea and other mitigating factors including a restorative justice conference at which Roberts apologised to the fishery officer involved. Read the rest here 19:30
