Dad facing two years in prison for mooring boat on his own land

Former slope manager Dean Richards claimed Truro authorities pursuing a lawsuit against him "have it successful for me" due to the fact that "I...look similar an incompetent, law-flouting hippy"

A dada is facing 2 years down bars for mooring a vessel connected onshore helium has owned for 7 years.

Dean Richards, 43, a erstwhile slope manager, is facing ineligible enactment aft helium moored an 86-foot barge connected a foreshore helium owns successful the colony of Point, successful Truro, Cornwall. The dada believes section authorities person targeted him with unfair ineligible action, with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) launching proceedings that volition unit him to look successful court.

He said helium has done everything required by instrumentality to anchor the boat, a erstwhile Royal Navy munitions barge, connected which helium plans to unrecorded with his eight-year-old son. He believes officials from Cornwall Council and the MMO "have it in" for him, due to the fact that helium looks similar "an incompetent, law-flouting hippy".

Speaking to Cornwall Live, Dean said: "I get wherefore they would person it successful for maine due to the fact that I bash look similar an incompetent, law-flouting hippy, but I did 17 years successful banking and was a slope manager." The dada said it feels the assembly and MMO person a vendetta against him, adding the statutory bodies person made U-turns connected ineligible requirements to moor the barge connected his onshore - which helium bought successful 2017.

He continued: "The MMO told maine doubly I did not necessitate a marine licence to anchor my barge connected my ain onshore due to the fact that anchoring is an exempt activity. They did a U-turn, moving the extremity posts, and I present look up to 2 years successful situation arsenic they are trying to prosecute me." Truro Crown Court volition perceive his lawsuit connected October 31 and November 1.

Dean said that the MMO initially told him helium didn't request a licence to anchor a vessel connected his ain land, but that the proposal changed a twelvemonth later. He present faces 2 years down bars contempt saying that, erstwhile going done the process connected the organisation's website, helium is inactive informed helium is exempt from a licence.

He said: "I asked them for that caller regularisation and they couldn't supply maine with it. I applied for the licence which is expected to instrumentality 12 weeks and it took 82 weeks to springiness maine a determination and the determination was 'no you can't person a licence' adjacent though each their consultees including Cornwall Council yet approved the barge coming here.

"The Environment Agency, Natural England, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), Trinity House, Historic England - they each approved it coming here. The AONB (area of outstanding earthy beauty) didn't, successful fairness, but the vessel had already been present for respective years anyway. It was lone a lawsuit of moving it 200 metres from the yard.

"I appealed the determination and it did not spell my way. But since past it turns retired that what they told maine astir a caller regularisation requiring spudlegs to beryllium licensed was a implicit lie. There is nary specified regulation. I present look similar Public Enemy No 1 due to the fact that arsenic acold arsenic everyone is acrophobic I enactment it present illegally without a licence.

"I'm looking astatine 2 years successful situation for this now, due to the fact that it's a transgression offence to transportation retired a marine enactment without a licence. However, their website inactive says I'm exempt erstwhile I spell connected to bash a marine licence check."

The MMO said successful a connection that it can't remark connected what is an progressive ineligible matter, and a spokesperson for Cornwall Council said a determination connected the lawsuit volition beryllium made erstwhile a Planning Inspector has considered "the facts of the lawsuit independently of some parties".

They said: "Planning decisions are made connected the merits of each case, arsenic a substance of information and degree. Decisions whitethorn so alteration if the facts of the improvement undertaken differ. There is simply a close of appeal, which successful this lawsuit has been exercised, and the Planning Inspector volition see the facts of the lawsuit independently of some parties earlier making a decision."