Embattled Reporoa dairy farmer Allan Crafar, his brother Frank and wife Beth have failed in their attempt to overturn convictions and fines on multiple dirty dairying prosecutions.The Crafar brothers appealed conviction on 10 charges of illegally discharg
Embattled Reporoa dairy farmer Allan Crafar, his brother Frank and wife Beth have failed in their attempt to overturn convictions and fines on multiple dirty dairying prosecutions.
The Crafar brothers appealed conviction on 10 charges of illegally discharging effluent while Mrs Crafar was battling four charges. They also appealed the level of the fines.
In a judgment issued at the High Court in Hamilton Justice Pamela Andrews dismissed the appeal. She also maintained the level of the fines.
The Crafar brothers were each fined $29,500, and Mrs Crafar $1500 in relation to effluent prosecutions brought by Environment Waikato following problems in 2007 and 2008.
Allan Crafar said he was disappointed by the failure of the appeal.
“I think this is a dangerous precedent for the whole country where directors of a company can be held personally liable,” he told the National Business Review.
The trio were all directors of Hillside Farms Ltd, the company that owned the offending farm on Collins Rd on the outskirts of Hamilton.
In October last year, Hillside Farms and other companies owned by the Crafar family were put into receivership owing more than $200 million to banks.
The Crafar family has been fined on numerous occasions for dirty dairying activity.
