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Fishing lakes owner vows to appeal after angler awarded £490k over ladder fall

Layfields Lakes at Lenwade is at the centre of a High Court claim over injuries sustained by an angler while cutting a tree <i>(Image: Newsquest)</i>
Layfields Lakes at Lenwade is at the centre of a High Court claim over injuries sustained by an angler while cutting a tree (Image: Newsquest)

The owner of Norfolk fishing lakes plans to appeal after an angler who did odd jobs in exchange for a free permit was awarded £490,000 over a fall from a ladder.

Darren Layfield, who runs Layfields Lakes at Lenwade, was sued by former friend Ricki Sartin, 53, who sustained injuries when he fell while helping to cut back a tree in June 2017.

The High Court has now awarded Mr Sartin £74,500 in general damages for the injuries, which included a broken hip, wrist and ribs, and a further £413,187 for financial losses.

Mr Layfield was also ordered to pay legal costs for the trial with £159,000 up front ahead of a full amount assessment.

READ MORE: 9 of the best places to go fishing in Norfolk

The court heard Mr Sartin, from Norwich, had agreed to do maintenance work with other anglers after being offered a waiver of his annual fishing permit at the lakes filled with stocks of carp, coarse, roach and bream.

Eastern Daily Press: Entrance to Layfields Lakes at Lenwade
Eastern Daily Press: Entrance to Layfields Lakes at Lenwade

Entrance to Layfields Lakes at Lenwade (Image: Geograph)

His barrister, David Cunnington, told the judge he had climbed the ladder which had been set in place for him.

“He had no experience in cutting branches at height with chainsaws. He cut the branch and the branch then fell,” he added.

“On its fall, it hit the ladder which caused both him and the ladder to fall. He suffered serious injuries as a result of his fall.”

Mr Layfield, who is paraplegic, did not attend the hearing in London but submitted a defence, denying that he had known what Mr Sartin was doing.

Speaking after the ruling he said: “I will certainly appeal because it is wrong.

“Mr Starin knows I haven’t got the money and as for this place being worth £2m it's an absolute load of rubbish.”

But ruling, the judge said his assertion that Mr Sartin had chosen himself to cut the tree and took the chainsaw without permission was “implausible”.