A EUSTON irrigator who admitted to illegally taking 1378 megalitres of water from the Murray River has failed in a bid to defer guilty pleas for eight charges in the wake of media coverage of his offending.

Brian Vance O'Haire, the owner of "Euston", entered the guilty pleas in the Land and Environment Court in July, but following media coverage "adverse" to him, he applied to have the recording ...