"could have easily seriously injured or even worse, killed all those on board, including men, women and children."
That just about includes everybody on board then. How could you trust someone with a hyphenated surname anyway?
hmm think his real mistake was the fact that the passengers were fair paying, when that happens then all the rules change. Personally I'd like a
shot of one of those, in the right water it looks a lot of fun
What about the cats and dogs, don't forget the family pets, though the goldfish should be OK
quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
"could have easily seriously injured or even worse, killed all those on board, including men, women and children."
That just about includes everybody on board then. How could you trust someone with a hyphenated surname anyway?
Sussex businessman's £30k bill
5:20pm Friday 22nd August 2008
By James Glover »
A Sussex businessman who built a supposedly amphibious car condemned by a judge as a “floating coffin” is facing having to sell his home to meet a
£30,000 court bill for breaking trading standards laws.
A judge accused Tim Dutton, of Park Crescent, Worthing, of being “glib and dishonest” and said if ever the vehicle had been used to give tourists
trips on Lake Windermere as intended “it would in all likelihood have created an absolute tragedy”.
The 60-year-old carmaker, appeared in court under his full name of Tim Dutton-Woolley. He was sentenced after previously being found guilty of
“consenting or conniving at” supplying to a Lake District businessman an amphibious vehicle whose claim it was “for the purpose of carrying passengers
on land and/or water” was false.
He was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 150 hours unpaid community work after the hearing at Carlisle
Crown Court yesterday.
He was also ordered to pay £2,000 costs and £28,500 compensation to Adrian Cowdroy, who had bought the eight-seat vehicle hoping to use it to provide
family tours.
Mr Cowdroy had to scrap his plans when he found the supposedly amphibious vehicle leaked and was so unstable it was not fit for use on either land or
water.
The vehicle – a specially converted long wheelbase Suzuki Jimny – was condemned as unroadworthy in a series of land-based inspections and refused a
licence.
At yesterday’s hearing, Dutton claimed he would have to sell his run-down £130,000 two-bedroom flat to pay the court bill.
His barrister Simon Gledhill said he should be given credit for his past success, which had seen him sell 8,000 vehicles “of various types” over a
40-year career.
Mr Gledhill said: “For the past 13 years he has been supplying a unique, original and inspiring product of his own invention. The fact that this one
job went wrong was an irregular occurrence in his regular practice.”
Mr Gledhill said Dutton had never before built a vehicle as big as the one wanted by Mr Cowdroy. He said: “Perhaps his biggest mistake was ever
agreeing to take the job in the first place.
The court was told Dutton set up a new business called Amphijeep after winding up his previous company Amphibious Cars – and he had wound up eight
other firms he had been involved with since 1991.
Judge Paul Batty QC said Mr Cowdroy had only chosen Dutton to build the vehicle because he held himself out to be an expert. He said: “He relied upon
your skill and judgment to provide him with a vehicle which you well knew was going to be used for fee-paying passengers on Windermere.
“Yet what you sold him was nothing more and nothing less than a floating coffin.”
After the hearing Mr Cowdroy said he was disappointed with the sentence because, while he had been ruined, Dutton-Woolley would be able to go on
running his business.
quote:
Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
“Yet what you sold him was nothing more and nothing less than a floating coffin.”
And there is one for sale on ebay 
tbo the whole things quite wrong, its a tried and tested design which sold quite well for this type of machine, they even crossed the channel in one, him ending up in jail with nasty piece of work only intent on putting him out of business stinks. I doubt the jury were even remotely qualified to give an opinion on the sea worthy ness. hope dutton just shrugs this off and keeps going
Seems pretty harsh. These vehicles are what they are. Plenty about, slow displacement hull, far less stable things out there on the water. As for 'using secondhand parts', shock horror, that'll be most of the parts then. He probably shouldn't have taken on a non standard build in the first place - I probably wouldn't be too happy either if I'd handed over my money and it was a poor job on the other hand.....
I don't think this was a standard Amphijeep though was it? Don't think they take 8 passengers so it must have been extended and I doubt
Jimny running gear is up to it stability wise; Which raises the question of the SVA test? Also read that it was inspected and reports submited to the
court by a marine engineer so not just the jury's opinion.
Interesting that his company has liability of £261,000, no assets, yet its the fine thats going to cause him to sell his flat. Is he just in the habit
of running up depts, going bust, leaving his suppliers in the lurch and starting again under a new name?
"...he had wound up eight other firms he had been involved with since 1991."
adrian
Two years suspended sentence, isn't being jailed.
The fine probably equates to the profit off one or two vehicles.
Harsh sentence or what?
Could have been worse the guy could have got Robin Hood to build it.
The guy who ordered it should be in the dock also -- not checking Dutton's history shows a lack of due diligence or at best naivety
cars are roads
planes for the skies
boats on water
when will people take notice of the basics
cheers les g
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
hope dutton just shrugs this off and keeps going