Nigel Cowell may have acted with the best of intentions when he built a bungalow for a sick friend.
But he must have known he was heading for trouble because he had planning permission for only a garage.
Rather than accept the inevitable, he insisted on taking his case to crown court.
How he ever expected to convince a jury that he was in the right is baffling.
Now he faces a £5,000 bill for court costs and a hefty fine if he fails to turn the bungalow into a garage.
The case should serve as a warning to others who flout planning rules.
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