A Northland man has been cleared of injuring a fisherman by driving into him on a West Coast beach.
John James Vodanovich, 46, a self-employed seaweed gatherer, of Baylys Beach, 12km west of Dargaville, pleaded not guilty in Whangarei District Court to injuring Ross Sherman with intent to injure, and failing
to stop to ascertain injury afterwards.
Earlier, the court had heard that Mr Sherman had been kite fishing about four kilometres north of Baylys Beach on October 21, 2003.
The Crown said that about 11am Mr Sherman was hit by a motor vehicle driven by Vodanovich.
Vodanovich said that Mr Sherman attacked his car and had ran at it with a PVC pipe and smashed the windscreen.
The pair had previously been involved in a business collecting ambergris from west coast beaches.
However, they had not spoken for about three years before the October 21 incident.
Ambergris is a pumice-like sperm-whale secretion which washes onto Northland beaches and is potentially worth thousands of dollars. It is used as a perfume fixative.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)
