An entrepreneur left ruined by disgraced air show organiser Ken Ross is flabbergasted police have decided to charge him with assaulting the disgraced promoter more than three years earlier.
Grant Hall, company director of The Good Water Company, was a key witness for police during their prosecution of Ross over the failed Wings and Wheels over Waikato air show.
The air show was set for March 7 to 9, 2008, but after months of promotional hype was postponed indefinitely - leaving sponsors and exhibitors about $350,000 out of pocket.
Mr Hall lost $28,000 to Ross after agreeing to be the event's official bottled water supplier.
Ross was later convicted of fraud.
Mr Hall said he was still battling to rebuild his life when police contacted him last week to say he was being charged with assaulting and threatening to kill Ross.
The charges relate to a stoush between the pair at Hamilton Airport in February 2008 when Ross met with sponsors.
Mr Hall followed Ross out into the airport car park where he grabbed him by the collar and demanded Ross "bloody-well give us our money back".
Mr Hall said he was "absolutely mortified" to be charged over the incident.
"I just feel this is a real travesty," he said.
"I gave a victim impact statement and was very helpful to police so to have them turn around and out of the blue lay these charge is real salt in the wounds. Has it taken police three years to get this file to the top of their pile?"
Mr Hall admits he grabbed Ross but said the confrontation only amounted to "a bit of verbals".
The Good Water Company borrowed money to invest in Ross' air show, a move which financially ruined the fledging business.
The company has since been liquidated and Mr Hall is facing bankruptcy.
Proceeds from the company were earmarked for the Sir Peter Blake Trust to educate young people about the environment.
"The air show could have generated a couple of hundred grand of revenue but we never had $28,000 to invest so we borrowed money and robbed Peter to pay Paul," Mr Hall said.
"Instead of getting some really good cash flow we were dealt a devastating loss and it was the catalyst for the business failing."
Mr Hall said he was "very emotional" when he confronted Ross but was assured by police the matter would probably not go any further.
It is understood Ross reported the incident to police in 2008.
Mr Hall will appear in the Hamilton District Court later this month and plans to plead not guilty to the charges.
He has no previous convictions and will apply for legal aid to fund his defence.
Ad Feedback
Mr Hall said the prospect of seeing Ross again in court was upsetting.
"I've lost all my life savings and will have to travel from Auckland on a bus to court because I don't have a vehicle. I'm also going to have to take time off from my part-time job. It just seems so wrong. It's very twisted. It seems like a twisted ironic turn of events."
Waikato Times' efforts to contact Ross were unsuccessful.
The Ken Ross saga:
- Air show organiser Ken Ross promotes Wings and Wheels over Waikato, scheduled to be held at Hamilton Airport on March 7-9, 2008.
- The Good Water Company signs up in December 2007 to supply bottled water to the event, paying Ross $28,000.
- After months of promotional hype Ross postpones the event indefinitely in late February, 2008, leaving sponsors and exhibitors about $350,000 out of pocket.
- In March 2008, the Commerce Commission applies for court orders ensuring ticketholders funds are protected. Approximately $500,000 is repaid to ticketholders.
- Ross found guilty in November 2009 of five criminal fraud charges following a 3 1/2-week defended hearing in the Hamilton District Court. Ross also found guilty of five breaches of the Fair Trading Act.
- Ross sentenced in March, 2010, to nine months' home detention and 200 hours' community work.
- Waikato Times
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz
No comments:
Post a Comment