Queensland pilot Josh Hoch appeals ‘severe’ sentence for illegally flying Katter MPs around country
Court documents have revealed how a man illegally flew politicians from firebrand MP Bob Katter’s party around the country for a huge sum of cash.
A Queensland pilot illegally flew politicians from Katter’s Australia Party around for four years under an unlicensed airline, court documents have revealed.
Josh Hoch, 36, was jailed over the scheme but on Friday won an appeal against his sentence in Queensland’s Supreme Court, where details of Flying Fitters Pty Ltd and Hoch Air Pty Ltd came to light.
Hoch made $370,000 as director of both companies conducting 96 flights between 2011 and 2015.
61 of the flights were for Bob Katter, Robbie Katter, or Shane Knuth, who were all Katter’s Australia Party (KAP) MPs at the time.
There was also one flight for the Electoral Commission of Queensland, where Mr Hoch transported election ballots following the 2015 state election.
It is not alleged the MPs or the Electoral Commission engaged in any wrongdoing or had any knowledge that the airline was unlicensed.
Katter’s Australia Party said the flights were paid for under their allocated travel allowance.
He was jailed for two years in November last year after being found guilty of three counts of fraud to the value of $30,000 or more; one count of dishonesty; four of flying an aircraft without a licence; and five of operating an aircraft without an air operator's certificate.
“The applicant used what he perceived as a loophole … to expand his business operations when he was charging on a commercial basis rather than limiting himself to sharing the costs of the flight with his passengers,” Court of Appeal documents state.
Hoch’s lawyers argued his fraud and unlicensed flying punishments were “unduly severe” because his time served behind bars wasn’t concurrent with his other charges, which were suspended.
The Court of Appeal judges on Friday ruled Hoch’s maximum prison time be reduced by six months, and that his good behaviour period on release be reduced from four years to three.
More Coverage
“The point at which (Hoch) is released from custody must reflect the fact that the overall notional sentence for all the offending must be less without count 2 which was, in fact, the most serious of the fraud offences with which the applicant was charged,” Chief Justice Helen Bowskill and Justices Debra Mullins and David North wrote in their judgment.
In September, Hoch also won the right to have his dishonesty charge re-trialled.
He denies those allegations.