Businessman could lose his £2m fishing lakes as angler wins £490,000 payout ... trends now
A businessman could lose his £2million fishing lakes as an angler he employed won a £490,000 payout at the High Court after falling off a ladder - resulting in a series of injuries - while he was undertaking work at the property.
Ricki Sartin, 53, was helping to cut back a tree at Norwich's freshwater Layfield Lakes when his ladder was struck by a branch in June 2017.
The impact knocked him to the ground, and as a result he sustained a number of injuries including a broken hip, wrist and ribs.
Grandfather Mr Sartin had also agreed to do odd jobs with other anglers after being offered a waiver of his annual fishing permit by the lakes' owner, Darren Layfield, 48.
However, he sued his former friend after accusing him of using him as 'cheap labour' - despite being unqualified and having 'no training or expertise in the kind of maintenance work' that was being requested of him.
Now, Mr Sartin has been awarded in around £490,000 in compensation.
The court also heard that Mr Layfield could be in danger of losing his lakes, after being handed a £159,000 lawyers' bill on top of the compensation payout.
Pictured is angler Ricki Sartin while recovering from accident. Following the incident, he sustained a series of injuries, including fractured ribs, hip and wrist, and a hernia
In blaming Mr Layfield for the accident, Mr Cunnington claimed he was well aware that the workers he used 'were not skilled or experienced workmen.'
In speaking about the payout, Mr Sartin's barrister, David Cunnington, said Mr Layfield was uninsured, but if he fails to pay his £649,000 bill, Mr Sartin may be able to make a claim against the lakes themselves.
Opening the case earlier this week, Mr Cunnington said Mr Sartin had been a regular at Mr Layfield's fishing lake, in Porters Lane, Norwich.
The lakes form a stillwater fishery, and comprise of a series of lakes and ponds with stocks of carp, coarse, roach and bream and are accessible to disabled anglers.
In 2014, Mr Sartin, from Norwich, was invited to a join a group of other men who did maintenance work for Mr Layfield in exchange for a waiver of the annual fishing fee.
'In essence, the defendant obtained cheap labour from a group of customers,' said Mr Cunnington.
Mr Sartin was injured when, on June 28, 2017, he was called by Mr Layfield, who instructed him to go to the lakes to help cut back a tree branch.
Mr Cunnington continued to tell the judge: 'Mr Sartin climbed the ladder which had been set in place for him.
'He had no
