A man has been handed a fine for over £4,000 after a so called ‘river rage’ incident during a regatta on the Thames.
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00:00Scott Keane of Morden in Surrey was found guilty at Staines Magistrate's court for obstructing a boat race, interfering with the safety of others,
00:12using abusive language towards officials and volunteers, failing to comply with a harbourmaster's notice and failing to register his boat.
00:23He proceeded to steer his boat through the regatta before getting caught in the anchor rope of a race boat,
00:32prompting him to start shouting and swearing at the competitors that they did not own the water.
00:42The Environment Agency said an appalling incident of river rage on the River Thames at Kingston-upon-Thames in July 2024
00:54has ended with a £4,334 fine, compensation and costs at Staines Magistrate's Court on January 28, 2025.
01:04That total figure includes fines, compensation and even a victim surcharge.
01:10Maria Hurley of the Environment Agency added,
01:13This incident was a disgrace. Keane showed no regard for the safety of other river users and could easily have caused a tragedy.
01:24Quite frankly, it was no surprise to discover that his boat was unregistered.
01:30And we are happy with the court's result.
01:34We hope that this serves as a clear warning to all anti-social and dangerous behaviour on our rivers.
01:43Will not be tolerated.