Ex- MP loses appeal over roof ruling
A FORMER One Nation MP who ripped off a Townsville radio personality with unlicensed roofing work has lost an appeal.
Jeff Knuth and his brother Troy, who formerly co- owned Roofguard Roof Painting, were found guilty of 10 contraventions of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission Act ( QBCC) in December last year.
Power 100 radio host Darren “Wildy” Burgess’ roof work was eventually finished, but he was left $ 10,000 out of pocket.
Troy, a church minister, made an apology in Townsville Magistrates Court and the brothers were each fined $ 9000 and ordered to pay $ 5258 in costs.
Jeff tried to appeal the conviction in the District Court, but Judge Douglas McGill dismissed the application on Thursday.
According to the written judgment, barrister Darin Honchin argued 15 grounds of appeal, including the magis- trate’s failure to give adequate reasons, failure to appropriately assist Jeff as he was selfrepresented and error in finding he lacked credibility.
Mr Burgess bought a house in January 2014 and soon discovered that it needed re- roofing due to leaks.
Roofguard salesman Robert Tayler provided a quote of $ 9900, to be paid in three instalments.
Mr Burgess signed the quote and work began in April 2014.
Judge McGill wrote that on May 16, Mr Tayler told Mr Burgess the work had been completed.
“The customer, however, looked at the roof and thought that there were things that had not been finished,” he wrote. Three days later he contacted the QBCC and was told Roofguard were painters and decorators and not licensed to do re- roofing.
They told him that Daniel Bevan, who did the work, also did not hold a licence.
Judge McGill said, in Jeff’s defence, he told the court he attended the Roofguard office two days a week and his brother ran the day- to- day operations of the business.
“The appellant said that he first became aware of the existence of the ‘ contract’ when he was telephoned by the QBCC in June 2014,” he wrote.
Judge McGill said Magistrate Ross Mack was right to find Jeff an unreliable witness.
“My impression from the transcript was that the appellant was evasive and argumentative and frequently volunteered unresponsive comment when asked a question,” he wrote.
“Far from concluding that the magistrate’s unfavourable assessment of his credibility was in error, I would wholeheartedly endorse it.”
Jeff Knuth was elected Burdekin MP in 1998 as a member of One Nation and served one term.