Man admits illegal sea-egg poaching

St Philip resident Richard Anderson Marshall was ordered to pay for committing two separate infractions on February 22.

The 43-year-old from Marley Vale had first entered a not guilty plea to the two charges following which his attorney-at-law Simon Clarke put forward strong submissions securing him $3 000 bail and a date to return to court.

However, while waiting on a surety Marshall, a father of 11 children, had a change of heart and pleaded guilty before Magistrate Elwood Watts yesterday to breaching Regulation 9 clause (a) of the Fisheries (Management) Regulation 1998 for having possession of a quantity of sea-eggs during the closed season without obtaining written permission from the chief fisheries officer.

He was fined $250 forthwith and it was paid.

Marshall was further fined $1 000 payable in three months with an alternative of three months at HMP for breaching Paragraph (13) subparagraph (1) clause (a) of the Emergency Management (COVID-19) (CURFEW) (No.4) Directive when he visited Bath Beach other than for the purpose of swimming and exercise.