Illegal lobster fishermen jailed after violent standoff

Two Cornwall fishermen aboard the Amber Mabel were jailed after a violent standoff with fisheries inspectors who boarded the vessel in Padstow in April 2025. The crew was found dredging lobsters and illegally removing eggs from female lobsters kept in a box, then tossing the catch overboard as officers approached. Skipper Ashley Rescorla resisted, shouting insults, while engineer Garry Ellis armed himself with a screwdriver during the confrontation. A youth on board and crew member Andrew Prout faced related charges, including perverting the course of justice and affray. The incident prompted police backup and a tense police-involved response.

At a sentencing hearing in Truro Crown Court on June 18, the men admitted culpability in a case authorities described as an egregious breach of fisheries regulations. Rescorla, with eight prior offences, and the others faced custodial consequences as prosecutors highlighted illegal dredging and egg removal. Judge Simon Carr condemned the incident as appalling, underscoring the dangers faced by enforcement officers and the need for robust penalties to deter similar acts within Cornwall’s fishing industry.