A HAMPSHIRE businessman's attempt to find money to launch a civil action against his former accountants ended when his cruiser became snagged on fishing nets in the English Channel.

Steven Halfpenny, 38, had sailed the Hamble-based boat to Cherbourg where he stocked up on almost 400 kilogrammes of hand-rolled tobacco.

But midway on his return voyage to the UK, the vessel became enmeshed in nets and he had to to call coastguards for help. The father-of-two was marooned for three hours until a Yarmouth lifeboat towed the vessel to the Isle of Wight.

Mark Sutherland Williams, prosecuting at Southampton Crown Court, said customs officers discovered the contraband in 16 crew bags.

The revenue he attempted to evade amounted to almost £43,000.

Mr Mark Milliken-Smith, mitigating, said Halfpenny's lack of criminal sophistication could be measured in the fact that while stranded, he made no attempt to throw the tobacco overboard.

The barrister told the court how Halfpenny had resorted to smuggling after the collapse of his family business in which he had acted as managing director.

He had launched a civil action against accountants and needed £50,000 before the end of the year to continue pursuing it.

He had been forced to sell his family home and customs had seized the cruiser which was sold for £158,000.

He added: "His life was in total turmoil and got himself involved in something which he cannot now believe."

Jailing him for six months, Judge David Griffiths told Halfpenny that he had pleaded guilty, was remorseful, and in a desperate financial position.

But the judge added: "You have been described as being at the end of your financial tether. but you went into this with your eyes wide open and with a view to financial gain. You are not naive. There are many people in desperate financial situations and they don't resort to criminal activities. You knew perfectly well what you were doing would result in a considerable loss in revenue and it is a great sadness so much of it is going on at the moment."

Halfpenny, of Cowes Lane, Warsash, pleaded guilty to bootlegging. He was of previous good character.