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A Townsville jury has convicted a pilot of fraud after he chartered flights for members of Katter's Australian Party without a licence.
Key points:
- 36-year-old Josh Hoch has been found guilty of fraud, unlicensed flying
- Hoch flew members of the Katter's Australian Party without a commercial pilot licence between 2011 and 2015
- Hoch will be sentenced on 13 charges in Townsville on Monday
Josh Hoch was found guilty of 13 charges, including unlicensed flying and fraud to the value of $30,000 or more, by a jury in the District Court on Friday.
The 36-year-old pilot chartered flights without a licence between 2011 and 2015, some of which carried Katter's Australian Party politicians Bob Katter, Robbie Katter and Shane Knuth.
Hoch was found guilty on two counts of flying an aircraft without a licence and not guilty on one count of flying an aircraft without a licence.
He was also found guilty on five further offences in relation to an aircraft.
Hoch was discharged on one count of flying an aircraft without a licence.
Previously the court heard Hoch had operated his two charter businesses, Flying Fitters Pty Ltd and Hoch Air Pty Ltd, without an aircraft operators certificate between 2011 and 2015.
During the trial the court saw dozens of invoices and was played police-intercepted phone calls.
In one call, Hoch suggested he had earned over $500,000 chartering flights for Katter's Australia Party members.
That amount was not confirmed and did not form part of the charges against him.
It was alleged in one of the invoices Hoch charged the Queensland Electoral Commission for the transportation of 'ballot materials' using his charter services in 2015.
During the trial Crown Prosecutor Edward Coker claimed Mr Hoch tried to hide his alleged offending in his invoices, during his closing address on Tuesday.
During his closing address, defence barrister Michael Hibble said there were gaps in the evidence against his client.
"What is the evidence that Mr Hoch in fact flew the flight?"he said.
"There's a gap there because the records simply aren't there."
Hoch's defence argued the flights were conducted under a cost-sharing arrangement with KAP politicians.
Members of Traeger MP Robbie Katter's office also gave evidence during the trial, confirming they had engaged Mr Hoch's company for charter flights but were not aware of any alleged issues with his licence.
The Katter's Australian Party politicians are not accused of any wrong doing.
Hoch's bail has been revoked and he will be sentenced on Monday.