A Worcestershire pesticide importer was found not guilty on appeal against 11 charges of importing illegal pesticides in a case at Shrewsbury Crown by Defra.
At the original court case on 12 June (see Commercial Grower, June 21), the jury failed to reach a verdict on the 11 counts, but found him guilty on three others. But John Rawlings, a sole importer from Tenbury Wells, was found not guilty by Judge Onions at an appeal on 21 June and gave him 50 percent entitlement to his legal costs.
Rawlings said after the appeal that the verdict was not only a personal victory for his business but it was an achievement for growers and farmers across the UK by helping them get a fairer price in a very competitive market.
“This case should never have come to court and I hope Defra realises the numerous mistakes that were made in wasting taxpayers’ money,” said Rawlings.
Judge Onions had asked Defra to report back in 21 days after the original hearing as to what lessons they had learned in the case. Otherwise he would refer it to the Competition Commission.
At the original court hearing, Judge Onions had suggested that Defra had ‘taken a sledgehammer to crack the wrong nut’ and that it was the pesticide companies rather than Rawlings who should have been investigated
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