Image copyright Other Image caption (L-R) Crew members James Male, Andrew Bridge, Steve Warren and Paul Goslin all died

A company boss who failed to safely operate a yacht on which four sailors were killed has been given a suspended prison sentence.

The crew of the Cheeki Rafiki died after the 40ft vessel lost its keel and capsized in the Atlantic in May 2014.

Douglas Innes, 43, and his business Stormforce Coaching Limited were found guilty of failing to operate the yacht in a safe manner.

He was given a 15-month jail term, suspended for two years.

At Winchester Crown Court, Stormforce Coaching Limited - which has since been put into liquidation - was fined £50,000.

Innes, of Southampton, had previously been cleared of four counts of manslaughter by gross negligence following a retrial.

The four men on board - skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey, James Male, 22, from Romsey in Hampshire, Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater in Somerset and Paul Goslin, 56, from West Camel in Somerset - were travelling back to the UK when the vessel lost its keel.

The crew's bodies were never found.

Image copyright PA Image caption Douglas Innes, who ran Stormforce Coaching, was given a suspended sentence

Sentencing Innes, Mr Justice Nigel Teare told him that "cost-cutting" had led his actions.

He added: "The failure to have the yacht surveyed was a serious act of negligence."

"This was a small yacht about to cross the Atlantic alone having not been independently examined for over three years. Those circumstances give rise to a risk of death."

Mr Justice Teare called on the maritime regulatory authorities to tighten the rules governing the inspection of yachts.

He said that Innes was unaware of a fault with a bolt and that a survey of the vessel, which went missing more than 700 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, may not have identified the problem.

Katy Ware, a director of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), said she had "personally pledged to the families" that rules would change as a result of this case.

She added: "There are a number of grey areas. It's really important that we make it clear to industry how they operate those vessels and make sure they are safe for everyone travelling on board."

Image copyright SWNS Image caption The Cheeki Rafiki had been on its way to Southampton from Antigua Sailing Week

The court had earlier been told that an email had been sent by the crew warning Mr Innes their yacht - named after a character in the Lion King - was taking on water in bad weather.

He replied advising the sailors to make sure the life raft was ready and later phoned the UK Coastguard.

The US Coastguard was criticised for calling off its search for the stricken vessel after two days, but it was restarted following intervention by the British government.

The yacht was eventually found on 17 May 2014 with the life raft but with no sign of the four men.

Reading an impact statement in court, Adele Miller fought back tears as she described her boyfriend James Male as "wise beyond his years".

"My life and my future has crumbled before me," she said. "Without him my life is less than incomplete."

Image copyright US Navy/Reuters Image caption The overturned hull of the Cheeki Rafiki after it was discovered by a US Navy warship

A statement from Cressida Goslin, the widow of Paul Goslin, was read in court in which she said she had been left "lost, isolated and alone" by the tragedy.

"This accident and the loss of four loved and cherished men could so easily have been avoided," it said.

His daughter Claire Goslin said a "massive part of her died" with her father.

"Despite being a strong character, losing dad in this way has crushed me and I have to live the rest of my life with an emptiness that I can never fill," she said.

Mr Warren's partner Gloria Hamlet said in a statement: "Life as I knew it when I was happy and fulfilled no longer exists and never will again, my life will always be overshadowed by a deep sorrow from the loss of Steve."

In mitigation, defence counsel told the court that Innes's life had been "shattered" following the loss of his "friends and colleagues".

"He genuinely and profoundly understands the pain [the families] have suffered."</s>A yachting company boss has been given a suspended prison sentence for failing to ensure the safety of four men who died when the Cheeki Rafiki yacht sank in the middle of the Atlantic. 



Douglas Innes, 43, of Southampton, Hampshire, was sentenced to 15 months, suspended for two years, at Winchester crown court for failing to operate the yacht in a safe manner, contrary to section 100 of the Merchant Shipping Act. 



His defunct firm, Stormforce Coaching, of which Innes is the sole director, was fined £50,000 for the same offence.

The Cheeki Rafiki, a 40ft yacht named after a character in the Lion King, lost its keel as the crew were returning it from Antigua to the UK in May 2014 and got into trouble 1,000 miles from the US.

The judge, Mr Justice Teare, said: “Nothing the court can say today, and no sentence the court can pass today, can properly reflect the loss of four lives or the enormous tragedies suffered by the families of those who lost their lives.”

He told Innes that cost-cutting had motivated his actions and added: “The failure to have the yacht surveyed was a serious act of negligence.”

He continued: “This was a small yacht about to cross the Atlantic alone having not been independently examined for over three years. Those circumstances give rise to a risk of death.”</s>Loved ones of four men lost at sea when the Cheeki Rafiki sank mid-Atlantic have made tearful tributes in court as the “cost-cutting” yacht company boss was given a suspended prison sentence for failing to ensure their safety.

Douglas Innes, of Southampton, Hampshire, and his company Stormforce Coaching Limited, were sentenced at Winchester Crown Court for failing to operate the yacht in a safe manner contrary to section 100 of the Merchant Shipping Act.

He was given a 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years and the firm was fined £50,000.

The 43-year-old was acquitted at retrial of the manslaughter of the four men.

Nigel Lickley QC, prosecuting, claimed that Innes failed to have the yacht inspected, did not comply with licensing and failed to support the crew during the fatal voyage.

The judge, Mr Justice Teare, supported a call by the jury at the end of the trial, which sent a note calling for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to tighten up regulations.

Sentencing the father-of-two, the judge told him that “cost-cutting” had led his actions and added: “This was a small yacht about to cross the Atlantic alone, having not been independently examined for over three years.

He added: “Nothing the court can say today and no sentence the court can pass today can properly reflect the loss of four lives or the enormous tragedies suffered by the families of those who lost their lives.”

The Cheeki Rafiki, named after a character in the Lion King, lost its keel as the crew were returning the 40ft yacht from Antigua to the UK in May 2014 when it got into trouble 1,000 miles from the United States.

The four crew members who died were skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey; James Male, 22, from Southampton; Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, both from Somerset.

The US Coastguard was criticised for calling off its search after two days, but following protests from family and friends and intervention by the British Government, the search was re-started and the boat found but without any sign of the four men.

Fighting back tears, Adele Miller, girlfriend of Mr Male, said: “He was my best friend, the man I planned to spend the rest of my life with, the man I wanted to have children with, when James was taken away from me, my life crumbled.”

Claire Goslin, daughter of Mr Goslin, said that a “massive part of her died” with her father.

She added: “Despite being a strong character, losing dad in this way has crushed me and I have to live the rest of my life with an emptiness that I can never fill.”

A statement read on behalf of Mr Male’s father Graham said: “He was the light and soul of the family, he was always smiling with a positive outlook that was infectious.”

Gloria Hamlet, partner of Mr Warren, said in a statement: “Life as I knew it when I was happy and fulfilled no longer exists and never will again, my life will always be overshadowed by a deep sorrow from the loss of Steve.”

Karim Khalil QC, defending, read a letter written by Innes saying: “To the families, I am truly sorry for the tragedy that occurred on 16th May 2014 resulting in the loss of your dear ones.

“Nothing I can say will bring back your loved ones but I think of them every day.”

He said that the defendant, who now faces a potential civil action, was a “decent, honest, hard-working” man who had in 1994 helped rescue two children from a house fire.</s>A yachting boss who carried on drinking in a pub despite receiving emails from crew members that their boat was letting in water, which then led to them drowning, has avoided jail.

Douglas Innes was criticised in court for 'showing no remorse' as he was sentenced for failing to ensure the yacht's safety.

James Male, Andrew Bridge, both 22, Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, tragically died on the voyage after the Cheeki Rafiki yacht sank on its return from Antigua when its keel broke off.

Innes, 43, stared blankly as he was given a 15-month suspended sentence by judge Mr Justice Nigel Teare, who said the yachting director's decision not to have the boat inspected amounted to a 'serious dereliction of duty'.

His company Stormforce Coaching, which is now in liquidation, was also fined £50,000.

Adele Miller, who was Mr Male's girlfriend, had her victim impact statement read out in court today where she criticised Innes for not 'showing any sorrow or remorse'.

The court heard that days into the journey in May 2014 from the Caribbean to Southampton, Hants, skipper Mr Bridge emailed Innes telling him the yacht was taking on water.

Innes, who was 40-years-old at the time, then carried on drinking with colleagues when he received the email and even went to another pub before calling the coastguard to help.

Sentencing him, judge Mr Justice Nigel Teare said: 'There's nothing the court can say today and no sentence the court can pass that can properly reflect the loss of four lives or the tragedies of the four families.

'However, nothing you could have done that night could have changed what happened. You did in fact reply to the urgent email from the pub.'

He added: 'There was evidence the email was being drafted in the pub and you called the coastguard later that night.

'The failure to have the yacht inspected was a serious failing on your part.

'It was a serious dereliction of duty on your part not to have her surveyed in England before she left for the Caribbean. It inevitably endangered the lives of those who sailed on her.

'What you did do was to take advantage of a grey area, namely to say that the voyage was not commercial.'

Speaking at Winchester Crown Court, Mr Goslin's daughter spoke of the impact losing her father had on her.

Claire Goslin said: 'Hearing the life raft had not been deployed... I was lost for words.

'I was always a daddy's girl, he taught me most things in life but not how to live without him.

The court was also read a statement written by Mr Male's father Graham, saying: 'I struggle to go in his room and I cannot look at his possessions. He was my best mate. I just want to hug him.

'I want to look at his happy, smiling face but it is not here - it is gone.'

Mr Warren's partner Gloria Hamlet said: 'When Steve died I lost not only my partner, my soulmate, but what I called home. Life as I know it no longer exists and never will again.'

The court heard the Cheeki Rafiki had ran aground three times in as many years prior to the fatal final journey, causing damage to the keel on the underside.

As opposed to reporting the damage as he was supposed to, Innes neglected the boat in order to 'cut corners to save costs'.

The keel of the boat snapped from the underside of the boat around 1,000 miles off the coast of America, causing the vessel to capsize in the Atlantic Ocean.

The hull of the vessel was discovered upturned by a contained ship the next day.

Seven days after the boat is believed to have capsized, the yacht was finally found in the Atlantic on May 23, 2014.

The bodies of all four men have never been recovered.

Mitigating, Karim Khalil QC, for Innes, read from a letter his client had written the the families of the crew: 'To the families, I am truly sorry for the accident which resulted in the loss of your dear ones.

'Nothing I can say can bring them back, but I think about them every day.'</s>A company boss who failed to safely operate a yacht on which four sailors were killed has been given a suspended prison sentence.

The crew of the Cheeki Rafiki died after the 40ft vessel lost its keel and capsized in the Atlantic in May 2014.

Douglas Innes, 43, and his business Stormforce Coaching Limited were found guilty of failing to operate the yacht in a safe manner.

He was given a 15-month jail term, suspended for two years.

At Winchester Crown Court, Stormforce Coaching Limited - which has since been put into liquidation - was fined £50,000.

Innes, of Southampton, had previously been cleared of four counts of manslaughter by gross negligence following a retrial.

The four men on board - skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey, James Male, 22, from Romsey in Hampshire, Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater in Somerset and Paul Goslin, 56, from West Camel in Somerset - were travelling back to the UK when the vessel lost its keel.

The crew's bodies were never found.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Nigel Teare told Innes that "cost-cutting" had led his actions.

He added: "The failure to have the yacht surveyed was a serious act of negligence.

"This was a small yacht about to cross the Atlantic alone having not been independently examined for over three years. Those circumstances give rise to a risk of death."

Mr Justice Teare called on the maritime regulatory authorities to tighten the rules governing the inspection of yachts.

He said that Innes was unaware of a fault with a bolt and that a survey of the vessel, which went missing more than 700 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, may not have identified the problem.

Reading an impact statement in court, Adele Miller fought back tears as she described her boyfriend James Male as "wise beyond his years".

"My life and my future has crumbled before me," she said. "Without him my life is less than incomplete."

A statement from Cressida Goslin, the widow of Paul Goslin, was read in court in which she said she had been left "lost, isolated and alone" by the tragedy.

"This accident and the loss of four loved and cherished men could so easily have been avoided," it said.

In mitigation, defence counsel told the court that Innes's life had been "shattered" following the loss of his "friends and colleagues".

"He genuinely and profoundly understands the pain [the families] have suffered."</s>The director of a yachting management company is to be sentenced for failing to ensure the safety of four sailors who died when the Cheeki Rafiki yacht sank mid-Atlantic. Douglas Innes, of Southampton, Hampshire, was acquitted of the manslaughter of the four men following a retrial in April. But the 43-year-old and his company, Stormforce Coaching Limited, were convicted at the first trial held in July 2017 of failing to operate the yacht in a safe manner contrary to section 100 of the Merchant Shipping Act and are to be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court. The Cheeki Rafiki, named after a character in the Lion King, lost its keel as the crew were returning the 40ft yacht from Antigua to the UK in May 2014 when it got into trouble 1,000 miles from the United States.

Lost at sea were all four crew members – skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey; James Male, 22, from Southampton; Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, both from Somerset. The US Coastguard was criticised for calling off its search after two days, but after protests from family and friends and intervention by the British government, the search was re-started and the boat found but without any sign of the four men. Prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC told the court the yacht had an undetected fault with bolts holding the three tonne keel to the hull, which then failed causing it to fall off during the bad weather during the voyage. Mr Lickley said the yacht, which had grounded on two earlier occasions, had been “unsafe and unsound” because Innes had “neglected it” by not maintaining it or having it inspected for several years. In contrast, Innes told the court the Cheeki Rafiki had been regularly maintained and inspected with no evidence of damage to the keel.

He said the yacht was taken out of the water for nearly five months in early 2013 for the hull to be stripped back and repainted as part of its maintenance programme and no fault with the keel or hull had been found. After the verdicts, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) chief executive Sir Alan Massey warned of the dangers of failing to maintain vessel safety and said the organisation would have to “look hard” at its “regulatory environment” and expressed sympathy for the bereaved relatives. After the hearing, a spokesman for the families said: “We have lost our loved ones and our lives have been changed forever. Nothing was ever going to bring Andy, James, Paul and Steve back. They will never be forgotten. “It is clear from the jury’s comments that there is a need to tighten up marine guidance so that the regulations cannot be misinterpreted. “This will help to make our seas a safer place…a fitting legacy for our four men.”</s>A yachting company boss has been given a 15-month prison sentence suspended for two years for negligence after four men died when the Cheeki Rafiki yacht sank mid-Atlantic.

Douglas Innes, 43, of Southampton, Hampshire, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court for failing to operate the 40ft yacht in a safe manner contrary to section 100 of the Merchant Shipping Act.

He was sentenced for failing to ensure the safety of four men – two from the Westcountry – who died when the Cheeki Rafiki lost its keel returning from Antigua to the UK in May 2014 when it got into trouble 1,000 miles from the United States.

His defunct firm, Stormforce Coaching Ltd, of which Innes is the sole director, was fined £50,000 for the same offence. The Cheeki Rafiki was named after a character from The Lion King.

Cheeki Rafiki yacht manager cleared over death of four after boat capsized in Atlantic

Crew members – skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey; James Male, 22, from Southampton; Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater Somerset, and Paul Goslin, 56, originally from Torpoint, Cornwall, who also lived in Somerset at West Camel; skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey and James Male, 22, from Southampton.

Judge Mr Justice Teare said: “The failure to have the yacht surveyed was a serious act of negligence.”</s>The director of a yachting management company is to be sentenced for failing to ensure the safety of four sailors who died when the Cheeki Rafiki yacht sank mid-Atlantic.

Douglas Innes, of Southampton, Hampshire, was acquitted of the manslaughter of the four men following a retrial in April.

But the 43-year-old and his company, Stormforce Coaching Limited, were convicted at the first trial held in July 2017 of failing to operate the yacht in a safe manner contrary to section 100 of the Merchant Shipping Act and are to be sentenced at Winchester Crown Court.

ABOVE VIDEO: General sentencing guidelines followed by the courts

The Cheeki Rafiki, named after a character in the Lion King, lost its keel as the crew were returning the 40ft yacht from Antigua to the UK in May 2014 when it got into trouble 1,000 miles from the United States.

Lost at sea were all four crew members - skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey; James Male, 22, from Southampton; Steve Warren, 52, and Paul Goslin, 56, both from Somerset.

Mr Warren was from Bridgwater and Mr Goslin from Wincanton.

The US Coastguard was criticised for calling off its search after two days, but after protests from family and friends and intervention by the British government, the search was re-started and the boat found but without any sign of the four men.

Prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC told the court the yacht had an undetected fault with bolts holding the three tonne keel to the hull, which then failed causing it to fall off during the bad weather during the voyage.

Mr Lickley said the yacht, which had grounded on two earlier occasions, had been "unsafe and unsound" because Innes had "neglected it" by not maintaining it or having it inspected for several years.

In contrast, Innes told the court the Cheeki Rafiki had been regularly maintained and inspected with no evidence of damage to the keel.

He said the yacht was taken out of the water for nearly five months in early 2013 for the hull to be stripped back and repainted as part of its maintenance programme and no fault with the keel or hull had been found.

After the verdicts, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) chief executive Sir Alan Massey warned of the dangers of failing to maintain vessel safety and said the organisation would have to "look hard" at its "regulatory environment" and expressed sympathy for the bereaved relatives.

After the hearing, a spokesman for the families said: "We have lost our loved ones and our lives have been changed forever. Nothing was ever going to bring Andy, James, Paul and Steve back. They will never be forgotten.

"It is clear from the jury's comments that there is a need to tighten up marine guidance so that the regulations cannot be misinterpreted.

"This will help to make our seas a safer place...a fitting legacy for our four men."

Want news straight to your phone?

For Somerset as a whole: Somerset Live runs a WhatsApp group to help you keep up to date with the latest news from across the county. If you'd like to receive breaking news alerts, text NEWS to 07834 893492, then add the number to your phone contacts book as 'Somerset Live’. We will send you a maximum of four messages a day. Your phone number won't be shared with other members of the group or be used for any other purpose.

For Bath: Save the number 07939 497390 to your phone - we recommend saving the contact as 'Bath Live News' - then send the word NEWS to us via WhatsApp.
The owner of Cheeki Rafiki, a yacht that capsized in the Atlantic in 2014 with the loss of four lives, is given a suspended sentence in England for the accident. He was earlier convicted of operating the vessel unsafely but acquitted of manslaughter.