Enchanter trial begins
A trial over the deaths of five people, when the Far North fishing boat Enchanter capsized in 2022, has begun in the Whangārei District Court.
Shay Ward, Ben Stinson, Jayde Cook, Lance Goodhew and Kobe O’Neill were rescued from the water, but five friends lost their lives on the night of March 20, 2022: Richard Bright, 63, Mike Lovett and Geoffrey Allen, both 72, Mark Walker, 41, and Mark Sanders, 43.
The boat’s skipper and company owner, Lance Goodhew, is charged by Maritime New Zealand with breaching his duties as a worker on the vessel and in doing so, allegedly exposing individuals to a risk of death or serious injury. The charge carries a maximum penalty of a $150,000 fine
His business, L & M Goodhew Ltd, has been charged with a breach of the Maritime Transport Act in operating a ship without the prescribed qualified personnel by not having a current medical certificate at the time of the incident, and comes with a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine.