Former ferry master guilty of rule breach

A former master of Interislander ferry Aratere crossed the path of a tanker in Wellington Harbour, a court was told yesterday.

David James Curd, 65, of Paremata, near Porirua, pleaded guilty to breaching collision-prevention rules.

The charge relates to an incident last April when the Aratere crossed in front of Bow De Jin.

Curd's lawyer Paul McBride told Wellington District Court the nature of the charge related to the "rules of the road rather than a near miss", and would request a discharge without conviction for his client.

Judge John Walker held the case over until Friday for submission on the sentence. The maximum penalty for the offence is $5000.

The Aratere's mate, John Champion, 62, of Auckland, also appeared in court yesterday over the incident but had his hearing deferred until Friday.

- NZPA