Round the World Briton crashes

From PA
HAPLESS VET ESCAPES CRASH ON ROUND-WORLD PLANE TRIP

By Antony Stone, PA

An eccentric British vet who was struck off after a string of convictions has
crashed his plane in Japan during a round-the-world solo journey.

Maurice John Kirk, 60, of Barry, South Wales, took off on his airborne solo
tour of the world four years ago.

He walked away with minor sprains today after crashing into a construction
site in the north-western city of Kanazawa at 1pm local time.

But the incident was just the latest in a lifelong sequence of mishaps, jail
terms and highly unusual happenings.

His high-flying obsession with planes was underlined in 1970 when he
parachuted into a Somerset churchyard to marry his first wife, with whom he was
to have three children.

Later, in 1980, he was jailed for six months after being found guilty of
piloting a light aircraft while drunk.

Within weeks of his release he was back in jail on remand, waiting to be dealt
with for what proved to be unfounded allegations of drug-running.

As a larger-than-life character himself it comes as no surprise that he was
also a friend of hell-raiser Oliver Reed.

He boasts an extensive online personal diary which chronicles his life, loves
and misadventures and some of the antics of Reed himself.

It also carries a regular diary of events on his round-the-world trip and
contains a ‘blog’ highlighting what he regards as injustices he has suffered.

Mr Kirk moved to Wales in the early 1990s and married his second wife, Kirsty
Morgan, and they worked at their own Barry veterinary practice together.

Since then he has tried to indulge his twin passions for veterinary surgery
and flying, occasionally combining the two.

But he was struck off by the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons in May 2002 due to his 11 convictions ranging from driving to assault offences.

As a result he has spent ever more time piloting his small Piper Cub plane,
registration G-Kirk, including the London to Sydney Air Race in 2001.

Now into the third quarter of his round-the-world trip, it is unknown whether
the latest crash spells the end of the journey.

With a recent failed appeal, however, ensuring that he remains unable to
practise as a vet, it looks certain he is unlikely to give up.

Despite the judgment of the Lords of the Judicial Committee of the Privy
Council, who dealt with his appeal, going against him, even they acknowledged his love of animals.

An extract of the judgment states: ‘Mr Kirk has an inherited love of
veterinary surgery (his father was a veterinary surgeon) and there is no
question about his dedication and competence.

‘On the contrary, he appears to be one of a small number of veterinary
surgeons practising in Wales who is willing to be called out any time of the day or night to a sick creature.

‘He will sometimes even use his own light aircraft to get there. No animal
has any ground for complaint against him. Mr Kirk’s problem is with people.

‘He combines independence of spirit and a passion for justice with a flaming
temper and complete insensitivity to the feelings of others.

‘He sees conspiracies under every bush and believes on principle that all
members of the police and legal profession are dishonest and corrupt.

‘He can be abrasive with animal owners and abusive – sometimes violent –
towards any of the substantial number of people whom he regards as enemies of justice.

‘The result of this explosive mixture of admirable and less admirable
qualities has been a long series of incidents which have brought Mr Kirk into
conflict with the law.’

end
211420 OCT 05

The plane looks a bit smashed up. – Nermal