Williams to be sentenced later

'Celebrity' angler admits smuggling charge

Nov 16 2006

icWales

A "celebrity" angler pleaded guilty today to attempting to smuggle live fish from the UK to Ireland .

Nigel Williams, 48, was accused of using the animals as live bait ? a common practice used among anglers in a bid to net large, prize winning fish.

Williams admitted breaking fishing regulations by attempting to transport 100 fish, including carp, roach and goldfish, in the boot of his car, Holyhead Magistrates Court heard.

Williams and fellow angler Gary Banks, 37, both from Wolverhampton, were caught by customs officers in May as they boarded a ferry from Holyhead, in north Wales, to Ireland.

The pair, who were travelling to Ireland for an annual fishing trip, had hidden the fish in a specially-adapted tank in their car boot.

The anglers were due to appear in court charged with exporting live fish without a health certificate.

However, Williams did not attend and entered his guilty plea via letter.

Banks, who attended court in person, also admitted the offence.

Stephen Smith, prosecuting on behalf of the Department for environment, food and rural affairs, said the transport of live fish without the correct documentation was banned in a bid to prevent the spread of disease.

Mr Smith said the case, which cost more than ?5000, was brought in a bid to deter other anglers.

He said: ?Mr Williams is something of a celebrity angler, he is very high profile in the angling world.?

He added: ?The defendants in this case knew what they were doing. They knew it was not appropriate to take live fish out of Wales to Ireland.

?These are two high profile anglers and we must be seen to take these processes seriously otherwise it opens the floodgates for other people.?

In a letter handed to the court, Williams said he ?deeply regretted? his actions.

John Meredith, defending Banks, said his client was only a recreational fisherman who was ?very sorry? for what he had done.

Banks was fined ?800 and ordered to pay ?500 costs. The case against Williams was adjourned until December 21 when he will be sentenced at the same court.

According to the Angling Times newspaper, Mr Williams is ?the most successful pike angler this country has ever produced?.

Colin Goodge, chairman of the Pike Angling Club of Great Britain, said: ?This is a sorry episode which reflects badly on pike fishing at a time when more than ever, we need to show that we are capable of pursuing our sport responsibly.

?British pike anglers have enjoyed the hospitality of the people of Ireland for more than three decades and it does us untold harm when this hospitality is abused, particularly by two prominent anglers who should be setting an example to others.

?In view of some of the threats our sport faces nearer home, we would urge all pike anglers ? whether they are PAC members or not ? to fish responsibly and in accordance with our code of conduct.?

You seem to take a lot of interest in Niges case Mark?

And the prosecution seem well versed for something they would normally know sweet f**k all about????????

And for those who are wondering the only "family" connections are based on football colours!!!!!!!!!

I think he was hard done to...All those small carp and roach were actually destined for a Polish Restaurant in Dublin.

mark why are your posts more often than not putting angling in a negative shadow.can you not see anything good in the sport.

Let's be fair to Mark, he's only repeating whats been reported on many other web sites, and there was a lot of interest on this, and other site's when they were caught, effectively it's only an update !!!.

Mark......

But for the grace of god springs to mind.

If i look back honestly over a good many years of angling, I have been guilty of moving fish from one venue to another, i have guested on numerous occasions, some of the early Carp rigs I used would make you cringe today, I drink alcohol on the bank, if im not bothering anybody else a good BBQ is nice!!!!!!!!I have taken fish home, I've broken club rules numerous times etc etc.

Ah I feel better now, is this whats its like to be a Catholic?

I'm sure Mr Williams is a thouroughly nice guy who just made a mistake and was (in his eyes) unfortunate to get caught. He probably loves his wife and kids is realy nice towards old people.

Why the venom Mark?

Murray........it was you who corrupted that poor innocent Wol!

Father forgive me for i have also sinned!


Now wheres that spikey think for me thigh!

You been reading to much Da Vinci Paul

And by the way....... It wasn't me who forgot to buy poor innocent wols licence a few years ago when he was checked on Tring!!!!LOL

I still think Nige Williams is a nice guy.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!

The b. should get 6 month for what he did!
There are no excuses for this so-called celebrity he knew precisely what he was doing!

And if that wees some off on this site so be it.
Quite happy to debate the issue all over again if needs be!

The guy didn?t even have the decency to turn up at court in person and face the music.

That could be, and I hope it is, seen as contemptible and arrogant of the man by the magistrates.

I'll put one on mmy other thigh!

"Why the venom Mark?"

No venom at all; I'm a journalist, and I think this is an interesting story. As far as I'm aware the outcome of the prosecution hadn't been carried thus far, so I posted it.

And the 'there but for the grace of god' comments are spot on; I've moved a few livebaits around in my time, though not on the industrial scale of installing a special fish tank in my boot.

But then I've never moved fish across the country, just locally in the Nene/Welland system. I've heard of people going to France with their catfish live-os in the boot; I wouldn't even consider that.

And may I just say this; since when has it been a problem catching a few lives in Ireland? Lord Paul will tell you, child labour is very good value over there....!

Bit OTT Phil eh, what would you give out to an east european mugger?, or some low life who robs from old ladies?

Am i reading things right here? There are people on this site that think its ok to break international laws because the culprits are O.K. Remember this when your grassing your neighbours cos they have no tax on there car.

i`m with phil hackett on this one...i heard that nigels partner in crime got an ?800 fine on keith arthur`s talk sport show,saturday morning.i`m sorry but i dont think thats high enough,even if he did show up in court etc... i also think that mr williams not bothering to turn up and facing the music,quite disgusting and contemptable.i dont care if either of them are thoroughly nice family types etc... what the pair of them did was bloody stupid and totally irresponsible.
at the end of the day,it doesn`t matter what way you all look at it,they risked bringing disease to a nations fish stocks,they knowingly broke strict laws and should be imprisoned for it.
maybee then,people will think twice before doing something like this in the future.

Don't think so Murray

They wantonly, deliberately, deceitfully attempt to smuggle into Southern Ireland, breaking UK and Ireland environmental laws, fish that could have potentially put at risk that nation fish stocks.

Environmental crimes are no less punishable than any other serious crimes and they don?t come much more serious than potentially putting a nations indigenous fish stocks at risk!

Then Mr Williams fails to appear in court to face the music!

The arrogance and contemptibility of the man beggar?s belief!

Mugging is a violent crime and a standard sentence is 12-18 months and as we saw last week with the 3 who were caught, the judge recommended they be deported after they?d done the time. Full endorse that!

Robbing of old people (with no violence) because they are the most vulnerable in society carries a stiffer sentence than robbing of other people. Between 9 - 12 months. Personally and having seen the effects it has on some old people, I think it should be 2 years minimum for first offence and incrementally 2 extra years for every other offence after that.

I'm with Phil on this one.

The worst part of the crime for me was that they were smuggling carp into Ireland. Not because of the disease aspect but for what such an invasive and dominant species will do to that country's natural fish stocks in years to come.

We already know what roach have done to Irish fishing, and now it's slowly but surely being polluted with carp.

Nothing wrong with both roach and carp, but to take them to Ireland is nothing short of criminal. They should be put to work in a peat bog for several years.