Man fined after launch hit lighthouse

By ANGELA GREGORY

An orthopaedic surgeon who allowed an inexperienced woman to steer his launch in the rain as night fell has been fined $1500 after they hit the Bean Rock lighthouse in Auckland harbour.

Timothy Tasman-Jones, 45, and Leanne Dixon, 26, a travel agent, appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday to admit two charges each under the Maritime Transport Act that they caused unnecessary danger or risk to persons and property on April 19 last year.

Emma Finlayson-Davis, representing the Maritime Safety Authority, told the court they had demonstrated a high degree of carelessness and faced maximum fines of $10,000 or up to 12 months' jail on each charge.

She said the 13m launch Falling Water was travelling reasonably fast in an area used by commercial and recreational vessels and containing lighthouses and beacons.

The pair "had and were" consuming wine at the time of the incident and Dixon was not experienced in driving the boat at night.

The collision left Tasman-Jones seriously injured, Dixon injured, and the boat extensively damaged.

Defence lawyer John Haigh, QC, said the pair were returning from a wine and food festival on Waiheke Island. They had each consumed two glasses of wine with a meal about 2pm.

At 6pm, a glass of wine was poured on board for Dixon "but not drunk". Neither she nor Tasman-Jones was drinking at the time of the accident.

In the impact, other bottles fell from a shelf and smashed, so it looked like more alcohol had been consumed, said Mr Haigh.

The pair had offered to the police to undergo breath- and blood-alcohol tests.

Mr Haigh said that as the boat headed back to Auckland Tasman-Jones had gone below to tidy up. He returned to sit on the flying bridge with his back to the course ahead.

Dixon had been looking through an opaque and dirty windscreen, the light changed as darkness fell, and she watched the illuminated GPS (global positioning system).

Mr Haigh also referred to medical evidence that Dixon had some problem with night vision, although it was not abnormal.

Judge Mike Behrens said he did not take into account the drinking claims, but said he was concerned that Tasman-Jones had given control of the launch to a passenger and was sitting facing the stern when the collision occurred.

Judge Behrens fined Tasman-Jones $1000 for causing danger or risk to persons and $500 on the charge regarding risk to property.

He fined Dixon $500 on the first charge and convicted and discharged her on the property charge.

A Maritime Safety Authority spokesman said he was disappointed at the level of the fines.