The judgement surrounding the confiscation of a Cornish fish producer’s assets has been adjourned, H&C has learned.

In 2007, W Stevenson and Son admitted charges relating to the illegal landing and sale of quota fish at Newlyn, which led to the Crown demanding GB£4m of the company’s assets being confiscated.

But Judge Philip Wassall at Plymouth Crown Court has agreed to consider new submissions from both the defence and the prosecution in two weeks time.

The prosecution said that a review of records by fisheries officer Daniel Poulding had led to a ‘significant change’ in their assessment of the proceeds of the crime, which alleged that almost a quarter of fish landed during a six month period in 2002 was illegal.

Cod, hake and anglerfish were described as non-quota, lower-value species such as ling, turbot and bass and auction records were falsified.