What I don't quite follow with this thread is, that whilst all you ATC colleagues are thumping each other on the arm in a playful way, you've moved away from the point that the pilot of the aircraft in question appears to have deliberately refused to accept an ATC instruction and taken his own shortcut.
I've gotta go with Aunt Rimmer - this is not good....and for the local airfield to now view this pilot as some sort of hero i beyond me. He should be shot, not applauded. I don;t think he has any right to hold a professional pilots licence.