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Two more crew members of the luxury yacht “Baiziane” are under investigation for manslaughter after seven people died when the vessel sank off the coast of Sicily.
It comes as the boat’s captain exercised his “right to remain silent” as he faced further questioning by Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking of billionaire Mike Lynch’s luxury yacht, his lawyer said.
James Cutfield, a 51-year-old New Zealand national, is being investigated for manslaughter and causing a shipwreck, and was questioned for a third time by prosecutors in Termini Imerese on Tuesday.
“The captain has exercised his right to remain silent for two fundamental reasons,” lawyer Giovanni Rizzotti told reporters. “First, he is very tired. Second, we were only appointed on Monday, and in order to be able to present a comprehensive and correct defense, we need to have access to a set of data that we do not have at the moment.”
Placing an accused under investigation does not mean that he or she has been convicted, nor does it necessarily mean that formal charges have been brought against him or her. It remains unclear whether other individuals will be placed under investigation.
This comes amid tributes to the owner of the British-flagged ship, Mike Lynch, and his daughter Hannah Lynch, Morgan Stanley Chairman Jonathan Plummer and his wife Judith Plummer, and Clifford Chance lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Nida Morvillo, who all died in the disaster.
Who is being investigated?
Italian authorities are investigating three people on charges of manslaughter after the sinking of the Albaicin yacht off the coast of Sicily.
On Monday, the boat’s captain, James Cutfield, 51, from New Zealand, was placed under investigation. He refused to answer prosecutors during questioning on Tuesday.
Two British crew members are now under investigation. Ship engineer Tim Parker-Eaton and seaman Matthew Griffiths are being investigated for the same offences.
A source told Reuters that there is suspicion that Parker Eaton failed to protect the yacht’s engine room and operating systems.
An investigation does not mean a conviction, nor does it necessarily mean formal charges.
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 23:30
Friend praises Baezian chef Ricaldo Tomas
Ricaldo Tomas was the superyacht’s chef and the first person confirmed dead.
The Italian coast guard found the Canadian citizen of Antigua origin near the sunken boat. A friend of Mr. Thomas, who asked not to be identified, said the yachting community was mourning his death.
She said The Independent: “He was a unique human being. Incredibly talented, his smile and laugh were infectious, his voice was amazing and his love for the ocean and the moon was deep. I talked to him almost every day. He loved his life, his friends and his work.”
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 22:30
Why is Mike Lynch’s yacht called the Bayesian?
Autonomy, the software company sold by Mike Lynch in an £8.64bn deal in 2011, pioneered business data analytics, using machine learning and what Mr Lynch called “adaptive pattern recognition”.
The company used a statistical method called Bayesian inference at the heart of its software, which was invented by the 18th-century mathematician Thomas Bayes.
Yacht name Bayesianreferring to the same model that was at the heart of Autonomy’s success — and Mr. Lynch’s.
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 21:30
Hannah Lynch was ‘one of the best English students in the country’, teacher says
Hannah Lynch had just completed her A-levels and won a place to study English at Oxford University.
Her former English teacher John Metropoulos Monk said she was “one of the best English students in the country”, achieving 100% in her GCSE English Literature exam.
Family friend Patrick Jacob paid tribute to her on Friday, saying: “Hannah was charming, highly intelligent and had an insatiable passion for life and knowledge. She was also warm, loving and very understanding, which is remarkable for her age.
“I am 50 years older than her and I have never met anyone like Hannah in my life. We have lost one of our brightest stars who had such a promising future. Her loss is unbearable.”
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 20:30
“We did not see the coming storm,” the Baez commander insisted.
The captain of the Bayesian ship insisted that he did not see the storm that sank the Bayesian ship last week.
Speaking about the storm, James Cutfield, 51, said Tuesday: “We didn’t expect it.”
A judicial official who asked not to be named told Reuters on Monday that Italian media reports had indicated that Italian prosecutors were investigating the New Zealander after the luxury yacht capsized in a hurricane off the coast of Sicily on Monday.
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 19:30
Mike Lynch Net Worth: How the Billionaire Made His Fortune
British tech mogul Mike Lynch was among seven people killed after the luxury yacht Paisian sank off the coast of Sicily.
The 59-year-old is best known for founding Invoke Capital and Autonomy Corporation and was in the headlines after being acquitted of charges in a high-profile fraud case.
Lynch and his wife Angela Bakaris were once called the “Britain’s Bill Gates”, and their fortune was estimated at £852 million in 2023 according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
He then went to Cambridge University and started his first business while studying for a PhD in signal processing and communications research.
Read the full story here:
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 18:30
Pictured: A British crew member is under investigation after the yacht tragedy.
Italian authorities are investigating three people on charges of manslaughter after the sinking of the Albaicin yacht off the coast of Sicily.
Ship’s engineer Tim Parker-Eaton is one of two British crew members now being investigated.
A source told Reuters that there is suspicion that Parker Eaton failed to protect the yacht’s engine room and operating systems.
An investigation does not mean a conviction, nor does it necessarily mean formal charges.
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 18:18
Five were found in the same cabin while Hannah Lynch was found alone in another cabin, according to reports.
Five bodies were found in the same cabin on the Baysian, while Hannah Lynch’s body was found alone in another cabin, according to Italian officials.
The five people found together by divers appear to have huddled in the first cabin on the left of the luxury yacht in an attempt to escape, it was reported. TelegraphWhile the 18-year-old girl was found in the third cabin on the left, alone.
“The yacht was listing to the right and it is clear that the bodies tried to go to the other side and take shelter in their cabins,” Girolamo Bentivoglio Fiandra, a senior fire service officer, said on Saturday. “We found five bodies in a cabin on the left and another in the third cabin on the left. It was on the top of the shipwreck.”
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 17:31
Who was on Bayesian?
The sinking of the Baysian off the coast of Sicily has made headlines around the world, with interest heightened when it was revealed that British tech mogul Mike Lynch was among those on board.
It turned out that the cruise was a celebration by Mr. Lynch with friends, colleagues and his legal team after winning a decade-long legal battle.
Here’s who was on board the ship during the tragedy:
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 16:23
What do investigators focus on?
Prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio confirmed the opening of an investigation on Saturday.
He said his team would examine every possible element of liability, including the responsibility of the captain, the crew, the individuals responsible for supervision, and the yacht’s manufacturer.
The 184-foot (56-metre) British-flagged luxury yacht “Baizian” sank near a Mediterranean island in southern Italy on Monday.
Investigators are focusing on how the ship, deemed “unsinkable” by its manufacturer, Italian shipyard Perini Navi, sank while a nearby sailboat remained largely unscathed.
Prosecutors said the event was “extremely rapid” and may have been a “burst” – a strong local wind that descends from a thunderstorm and spreads quickly upon hitting the ground.
The crew, except for the cook, were rescued, while six passengers were trapped inside the hull.
Athens StavrouAugust 28, 2024 15:49
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