PHOEBE STEWART

TWO fisherman “from the desert” have been left high and dry after losing their boat and utes — and being fined $2500.

Alice Springs Fishing Club members Paul Coffey, 55, and Scott Davenport, 37, were caught with an illegal bounty of barramundi, golden snapper and fillets as they left King Ash Bay.

They asked police to settle the matter over “a beer”.

“Can’t we just have a beer and forget about this … so we can get on our way,” Coffey asked Constable Wade Rogers on the side of a road, about 40km from Borroloola in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The beer offer was rejected — and yesterday the pair were found guilty in the Darwin Magistrates’ Court of possessing 65 barra, 46 golden snapper and 157 fillets from a fishing trip in December 2006.

And to add a sting to the trip, the fishos have surrendered to police their 600 Ocean Sport Quintex boat, Coffey’s LandCruiser and Davenport’s Holden Rodeo worth $70,000.

Magistrate Vince Luppino said the pair “colluded” in their evidence, including their excuses that they did not see or properly read bag-limit signs.

He also criticised the men for evidence given by Davenport’s 14-year-old son Brandon, who was also on the fishing trip, which showed “he was coached” in his answers, leading to an important slip-up when the teen was under pressure.

“Both (men) lack credibility and I reject their evidence,” Mr Luppino said.

Prosecutor Georgia McMaster said the pair had shown “deliberate dishonesty” after being “caught red-handed by police”.

Defence lawyer Alan Woodcock said the five-barra bag limit disadvantaged Alice Springs fishermen, who could not transport their daily catches home.

“They are men from the desert who have gone out and done what could lawfully be done by two fishermen from Darwin in a week,” Mr Woodcock said.

Mr Luppino said he was “troubled” by the legislation.

“The first time I heard of this legislation I was a bit troubled by it because it is so easy to thwart the intention of the legislature,” Mr Woodcock said.

He fined the men $2500 each, and the pair have to pay $590 each for prosecution costs.

Source : Northern Territory News