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Fisherman who faked death jailed | Fisherman who faked death jailed |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A commercial fisherman who faked his own death to thwart a Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) inquiry has been jailed for two and a half years. | |
Derek Atkins, 56, from Portsmouth, sent a false obituary for his alias of Roger Atkins to the Fishing News newspaper, the city's crown court heard. | |
He had previously admitted perverting the course of justice, deception and fraud, as well as 21 fishery offences. | |
Sentencing Atkins, Judge Ian Pearson described him as a "cunning fraudster". | |
'Gentleman at sea' | |
Atkins, who has more than 30 previous convictions, also pleaded guilty to failing to notify the authorities of name changes while on the sex offenders' register. | |
He had been ordered to sign the register until 2012 because of an indecent assault conviction in 2002. | |
The fisheries offences for which he was sentenced involved filing false logbook and catch information used by the MFA to decide fishing quotas. | |
Atkins's obituary described him "as a gentleman at sea with a great sense of humour", the court heard. | |
Judge Pearson told Atkins: "You are a lying, cunning, calculating fraudster - there's no other description for you." | |
No wife, no reputation, just time in jail for pretending he was dead - perhaps now he wishes he was Brian Sharman, defending | |
The court heard that Atkins's deception was spotted when the MFA suspected that, using his pseudonym of Roger Atkins, he had been failing to log fishing trips. | |
The MFA wrote to him and received a reply stating that he had moved to Holland. | |
Atkins then telephoned the MFA requesting an interview but before that could take place, the investigators received another letter stating that Roger Atkins had died, the court heard. | |
The MFA passed the investigation over to Hampshire police, who discovered that he had been committing fraud offences while using various names from different addresses. | |
'Drinking problem' | |
One of his victims Wendy Tandy, who he met over the internet, was conned into handing over more than £3,000. | |
Atkins, of Allaway Avenue, was also ordered to pay her £3,000 in compensation. | |
Brian Sharman, defending, told the court his client, who was divorced from his wife of 20 years last year, had a drinking problem and had spent any money he had gained through his fraudulent activities in the off licence. | |
He also said Atkins had health problems. | |
"He has suffered some kind of angina attack and he now looks down the barrel of being 60 and what has he got? | |
"No wife, no reputation, just time in jail for pretending he was dead - perhaps now he wishes he was." | |
Speaking after the case, an MFA spokesman said: "Atkins had complete disregard for fishing rules designed to safeguard fish stocks and ultimately fishermen's jobs." |