Following an extensive Maritime & Coastguard Agency investigation into the circumstances surrounding the loss of the Cheeki Rafiki yacht, a decision has been made by the Crown Prosecution Service to bring charges against Douglas Innes and Stormforce Coaching Limited.
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency has carried out an investigation lasting more than two years into the circumstances surrounding the loss of the Cheeki Rafiki yacht in May 2014.
The loss of the Cheeki Rafiki yacht and its four crew in the Atlantic Ocean, occurred approximately 720 miles east–south-east of Nova Scotia, Canada.
Read the official report here.
Following that extensive investigation a decision has been made by the Crown Prosecution Service to bring charges against Douglas Innes and Stormforce Coaching Limited.
Ian Harris, from the Crown Prosecution Service Wessex, said: ‘We have authorised the charging of Douglas Innes with four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and Douglas Innes and Stormforce Coaching Limited with one charge contrary to section 100 Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
These charges relate to the deaths of Andrew Bridge, James Male, Stephen Warren and Paul Goslin in the North Atlantic in May 2014, following the loss of the keel on their yacht, the Cheeki Rafiki. The decision to charge was taken in accordance with the Code of Crown Prosecutors.’
Douglas Innes and a representative of Stormforce Coaching Limited will appear at Southampton Magistrates court on the 3 November 2016.
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