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New twists in ferry manslaughter trial

Ferry Online Travel News 28/11/2007

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Doubt exists as to who is to blame for the death of members of the Ouzo yacht

A ferry officer is currently on trial for manslaughter after the bodies of three yachtsmen were found floating off the Isle of Wight. In a dramatic courtroom development on Wednesday, the master of another vessel nearby confessed that his ship had no lookout that day and he would not necessarily have been aware if his vessel had struck the yacht Ouzo.

The man on trial for manslaughter was sailing as second mate on the P&O Ferries passenger ship, the Pride of Bilbao. Michael Hubble is accused of having either hit or swamped the yacht Ouzo, and then failed to report the accident.

On Thursday Mr. Hubble was cross examined and continued to deny responsibility for the sunken yacht. He said he had seen lights on a yacht passing close to the ferry but he believed it was not sinking when he last sighted it.

According to a BBC report, Alaistair Crichton, the master of the tanker Crescent Beaune, confessed to lying in earlier statements about having a lookout on the ship. His ship was also in the area of the accident that night. The Captain said he had lied because it is an offense to fail to post a lookout and he was trying to protect himself.

The defense is expected to use this information to suggest that the responsibility for the crash lies with Captain Crichton rather than with Mr. Hubble.

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