Mike Lynch Yacht Latest: Two More Crew Under Investigation As Bayesian Captain Refuses To Answer Questions
Final moments of seven who died in Bayesian tragedy revealed by fire service boss
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Two more crew members from the Bayesian are under investigation for manslaughter after seven people died when the superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily.
It comes as the captain of the boat has “exercised his right to remain silent” as he faced further questioning from Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking of billionaire Mike Lynch’s superyacht, according to his lawyer.
James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealand national, is under investigation for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges and was questioned for the third time by the Termini Imerese prosecutors on Tuesday.
“The captain exercised his right to remain silent for two fundamental reasons,” lawyer Giovanni Rizzuti told reporters. “First, he’s very worn out. Second, we were appointed only on Monday and for a thorough and correct defence case we need to acquire a set of data that at the moment we don’t have.”
Being placed under investigation does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will necessarily follow. It is still unclear whether other individuals will also be placed under investigation.
It comes amid tributes for the owner of the British-flagged vessel Mike Lynch, his daughter Hannah Lynch, Morgan Stanley chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judith Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, who all died in the disaster.
1724845832How Mike Lynch’s inner circle celebrated end of billionaire’s 13 year court battleBritish technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the people initially unaccounted for after his superyacht Bayesian sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.
After a decade-long legal battle which had seen him extradited to the US to face an $11bn fraud case, Mr Lynch had celebrated by inviting his close friends, colleagues and those who helped him on his legal team aboard his boat as a gesture of gratitude.
Read the full article here:
Holly Evans28 August 2024 12:50
1724844847Read the full story: Two more crew members under investigation Two more crew members from the Bayesian are under investigation for manslaughter, including the ship engineer and sailor.
A source said that Tim Parker Easton is suspected of having failed to protect the yacht’s engine room and operating systems, while Matthew Griffith was on watch duty on the night of the incident.
Read the full article from Tara Cobham here:
Holly Evans28 August 2024 12:34
1724844049Investigation will consider every possible element Chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio, who is heading the investigation, has said his team would consider each possible element of responsibility including those of the captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision and the yacht’s manufacturer.
The legal team have also said their investigation would take time and required the wreck of the Bayesian superyacht to be salvaged from the sea. It is currenlty lying on its right side, at a depth of around 50 metres (164 feet).
Holly Evans28 August 2024 12:20
1724843140Two more crew members from Bayesian under investigation Two more crew members from the Bayesian are under investigation for manslaughter after seven people were killed when the superyacht sank in a storm off Sicily last week.
A judicial source said on Wednesday that Italian prosecutors are probing two more crew members in connection with the vessel’s sinking, along with its captain, after the British-flagged Bayesian capsized on 19 August while anchored off northern Sicily.
Ship engineer Tim Parker Eaton and sailor Matthew Griffith are both also being investigated over the same crimes. The source said that Parker Eaton is suspected of having failed to protect the yacht’s engine room and operating systems, while Griffith was on watch duty on the night of the incident.
Being investigated does not imply guilt and does not mean formal charges will follow.
Emergency workers at the scene of the Bayesian sinking (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Holly Evans28 August 2024 12:05
1724787016Pausing coverageGood evening, that’s all for today on our coverage.
Alex Ross27 August 2024 20:30
1724785216What happened when boat started sinkingThe Bayesian sent its last signal before sinking via the tracking Automatic Identification System (AIS) at 0206 GMT, according to the MarineTraffic website.
Chief Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio said a red flare alerting rescue services about the emergency was fired into the sky at 0238 GMT, more than 30 minutes after the boat had gone down.
The head of Palermo’s Fire Brigade, Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, said the boat sank from the stern and is lying on its starboard side at a depth of around 50 metres (164 feet).
In the yacht, the bodies of the dead were found in the cabins on the left-hand side of the boat, where the passengers may have tried to search for remaining bubbles of air, he added.
Prosecutor Cammarano said the passengers were all probably asleep at the time of the storm which was why they failed to escape.
Alex Ross27 August 2024 20:00
1724781616The Bayesian captain’s legal teamThe Bayesian captain James Cutfield was asked to appoint a lawyer after questioning by Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking of the yacht on Sunday.
The 51-year-old has been placed under investigation for possible manslaughter and shipwreck, according to his lawyer Aldo Mordiglia.
Mr Mordiglia is one of two lawyers who are representing the New Zealander. The other is Palermo lawyer Giovanni Rizzuti.
According to Italian media reports, Mr Mordiglia, from Genoa, is specialised in maritime and international law.
Alex Ross27 August 2024 19:00
1724779075Bayesian captain ‘exercised right to silence’ in manslaughter probe questioning, lawyer saysThe captain of the Bayesian yacht chose not to respond to prosecutors’ questions as he was spoken to for a third time on Tuesday, his lawyer has said.
James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealand national, is under investigation for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck charges.
“The captain exercised his right to remain silent for two fundamental reasons,” lawyer Giovanni Rizzuti told reporters. “First, he’s very worn out. Second, we were appointed only on Monday and for a thorough and correct defence case we need to acquire a set of data that at the moment we don’t have.”
Being placed under investigation does not imply guilt or mean that charges will necessarily follow. Chief prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio has said his team would consider each possible element of responsibility including those of the captain, the crew, individuals in charge of supervision and the yacht’s manufacturer.
The Times reported one of Mr Cutfield’s lawyers as saying that the captain is “understandably very shaken up” after the ordeal last Monday.
Giselda Vagnoni has more in this report:
Andy Gregory27 August 2024 18:17
1724778016Who was on the Bayesian?The sinking of the Bayesian off the coast of Sicily made headlines across the world, with interest rising when it was revealed that British technology tycoon Mike Lynch was among those onboard.
It then emerged that the boat trip was a celebration by Mr Lynch with friends, colleagues and his legal team after he won a decade-long legal battle.
Here we explain who was onboard the ship during the tragedy:
Alex Ross27 August 2024 18:00
1724774416Why did the Bayesian sink?Hatches and doors left open overnight on the superyacht Bayesian may have caused it to sink in Italy, a sailing expert has said.
Sam Jefferson, editor of magazine Sailing Today, believes the vessel’s huge mast is also likely to have contributed to the deadly event.
Mr Jefferson told the PA news agency: “I would have said that the boat got hit very hard by the wind, it was pinned over on its side.
“I imagine all the doors were open because it was hot, so there were enough hatches and doors open that it filled with water very quickly and sank like that.
“The reason it got pinned over so hard was because the mast is huge.
“It acted almost like a sail. (It) pushed the boat hard over on its side.
“(The boat) filled with water before it could right.
“This is all speculation, but that’s the only logical explanation.”
Alex Ross27 August 2024 17:00
