Former pilot found guilty of practicing law in Lake Macquarie without a license

BY EMILY WILLIAMS

A former pilot has been found guilty of eight charges relating to practicing law without a license whilst working in the Hunter.

Nathaniel Whitehall began working in Lake Macquarie Conveyancing's Belmont office in mid-2020.

A court has been shown evidence of him representing clients, signing contracts, drafting wills, and signing statutory declarations.

However, the NSW Law Society confirmed to the court, Mr. Whitehall had never held a certificate in any state to practice law.

Nathaniel Whitehall. Image: NCA NewsWire

The Judge found, in one instance, he took a water contract from a conveyancer who said she wasn't authorised to sign the documents. Instead, he signed the documents and responded that "humility didn't suit her".

In court, the former Qantas pilot represented himself, denying some claims but largely admitting to practicing law without a license.

Magistrate Juliana Crofts found Whitehall guilty after the one-week trial and he will return to court for sentencing on June 19th. 

Newcastle Airport Now Offering Business Class Experience on Boeing 717 Flights to Brisbane

BY ISABEL EVERETT 

Hunter residents will now be able to fly business class aboard a Qantas Boeing 717 from Newcastle to Brisbane. 

The two-class aircraft which has a capacity of 110 seats, 12 of which are business class touched down from the Sunshine State at Newcastle airport on Monday. 

The new planes fly to the northern Capital in 15-minutes less time than previously used Dash 8 Q400 aircraft which hold approximately 75 passengers. 

Newcastle Airport CEO Dr Peter Cock says the aircraft upgrade is a credit to the people of the region who have always strongly supported air travel to Brisbane.

“As Northern NSW’s primary gateway to QLD we are seeing passenger demand driving an increase in flight frequency and capacity into South East Queensland, he said.

“We certainly welcome Qantas’ decision to operate the 717 aircraft and look forward to further expansion of services on all our routes.”

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the additional seats would support the growing demand for travel between Newcastle and Brisbane.

“Qantas is now close to offering the same number of seats on this route as we did before COVID-19, which is fantastic for businesses in the region.

Flights will operate double daily with a mix of 717 and Q400 aircraft.

Flights on the 717's will be daily, in the afternoon, building to twice daily as demand increases.

Image Credit: Aviation Australia