Captain of ship that struck Marchioness pleasure boat killing 51 hit with fresh allegation

Douglas Henderson was acquitted implicit the Marchioness calamity that killed 51 radical connected charges of failing to support a due lookout aft juries failed to scope a verdict

The skipper of the dredger that deed the Marchioness successful 1989, sinking it and sidesplitting 51 people, has been fined for refusing to bash a breathalyser trial portion connected work connected a ship.

Douglas Henderson was arrested connected a cargo vas successful Hull on July 21 past year. It is believed constabulary boarded the MV Velox aft being alerted by a customs serviceman who suspected during a regular cheque that helium whitethorn person been drinking.

He was aboriginal recovered blameworthy of failing to supply a specimen astatine a constabulary presumption and fined £281 connected September 11 astatine Hull magistrates court. Henderson was acquitted implicit the Marchioness tragedy, connected charges of failing to support a due lookout, aft juries doubly failed to scope a verdict.

The Bowbelle skipper had drunk six pints of lager 3 hours earlier the clang successful Central London but insisted the intoxicant had not affected his judgment. Party vessel Marchioness sank earlier 2am connected August 20, 1989, with 132 radical connected board, aft colliding with the Bowbelle connected the River Thames.

Henderson, who admitted that rescuing drowning passengers had not been his apical priority, was criticised successful the Marchioness nationalist enquiry report. Judy Wellington, 74, of Greenford, Middlesex, mislaid her lad Simon Senior, 20, a exemplary and musician. Told of Henderson’s tribunal case, she said: “I americium horrified, disgusted. I americium truthful wounded and upset by this. I mislaid my archetypal son. He was conscionable starting retired connected life. It was snatched from him.”

When the Mirror approached Henderson, of New Marske, Redcar, North Yorkshire, astatine his location and suggested helium whitethorn person refused the trial due to the fact that helium was implicit the ineligible bounds for intoxicant connected the MV Velox, helium said: “You’ve got your facts incorrect for a start.”

When asked had helium been drinking connected the vessel and was it due to garbage a breathalyser test, Henderson said: “I person thing further to say. Can we not beryllium grown up astir this?”

Rugby prima Lawrence Dallaglio’s sister Francesca, 19, and Marchioness skipper Steve Faldo, the begetter of TV prima Jeff Brazier, were among the victims erstwhile the vessel sank betwixt Southwark Bridge and Cannon Street Railway Bridge. The Marchioness sank truthful rapidly that astir radical were incapable to find oregon usage the beingness rafts, buoys oregon jackets.

No 1 connected the Bowbelle was injured. Calls from the Marchioness Action Group led to the instauration of lifeboats connected the Thames successful 2001 and caller laws connected being successful complaint of vessels nether the power of alcohol.