Speedboat skipper nicknamed ‘Mr Safe’ who smashed into 15ft buoy that killed 15-year-old girl is cleared of manslaughter after telling court he went ‘lightheaded’ and ‘momentarily lost his vision’
- Speedboat driver Michael Lawrence acquitted of manslaughter of 15-year-old
- He was found guilty of failing to maintain proper lookout and safe speed in the death of teenager Emily Lewis following Southampton Water crash in 2020
- The experienced speedboat skipper, 55, told court he momentarily lost vision
A speedboat skipper who hit a 15ft buoy in a crash that killed a 15-year-old passenger on board has been cleared on manslaughter after he told the court he went ‘lightheaded’ and lost his vision momentarily.
Michael Lewis said he felt like he was unable to see for a ‘split second’ before driving straight into the fixed, metal buoy which killed Emily Lewis on Southampton Water in 2020.
Jurors at Winchester Crown Court heard the 55-year-old, who took a selfie during the trip, drove straight into the buoy, which they were told would have been visible for 14 seconds, killing the teen and leaving other passengers badly injured.
Lawrence has been acquitted of manslaughter but found guilty of failing to maintain a proper lookout and maintain safe speed after a jury deliberated for around 12 hours.
He will be sentenced for the two safety charges at a later date.
The jury continues to deliberate on whether Seadogz Rib Charter Ltd owner Michael Howley, 52, from Hordle, Hants, is guilty of one safety charge he faces.
Jurors at Winchester Crown Court were shown a selfie Michael Lawrence took on the trip
Emily suffered ‘unsurvivable’ chest injuries when she was crushed against a metal handle on the trip with her sister and parents.
Nikki and husband Simon Lewis had taken daughters Emily and Amy on the Seadogz Ltd speedboat ride on Southampton Water, Hants, on August 22 in 2020 as a ‘treat’ following lockdown.
A total of 11 passengers were treated at hospital. Mrs Lewis suffered a broken wrist, Amy suffered a broken arm, and Emily died later that day from her chest injuries.
Lawrence claimed a Covid mask blew up and blocked his vision. He later changed his story to say he suffered vision loss.
However, prosecutors alleged his driving was ‘extremely dangerous’ and his actions were ‘truly exceptionally bad’.
Mrs Lewis previously described the pre-ride safety briefing to the court as ‘wishy-washy’ and ‘not as professional’ as those she’d had before
Mr Lewis described the ride as ‘violent’ while Mrs Lewis said Lawrence did ‘nothing to help their daughter’ after the crash as she and her daughter Amy screamed for help.
The court previously heard Lawrence paced up and down the boat after the crash talking on his phone, stepping over injured passengers who he failed to assist. He told the court he had been in shock.
Opening the case, prosecutor Christine Agnew KC said: ‘This was to be a high thrills ride.
Undated handout photo issued by Hampshire Police of Emily Lewis
The speedboat following the crash on August 22 2022
‘Tragically it was both a high thrills and ultimately an extremely dangerous ride which ended with the death of Emily.
‘She died from internal injuries she sustained by being crushed against the metal handle immediately in front of her when the boat crashed head on into a buoy… which Michael Lawrence appears not to have seen.
‘Perhaps because he wasn’t paying attention and was distracted, or because he was planning to take a sharp turn around it and because he wasn’t paying close enough attention, he miscalculated the turn.
‘Lawrence was heard to say on a number of occasions both on the day and later that the face mask he had been wearing had blown up and covered his eyes resulting in his temporary blindness.’
She added that Lawrence changed his account in the following days.
‘Despite his experience, or maybe even because of it, he took risks he should not have done and failed to observe basic safe practice whilst skippering the RIB when he alone was responsible for the safety of and owed a duty of care to the 11 other people on board,’ she said.
‘The Crown’s case is that the actions of Lawrence that August afternoon were truly exceptionally bad, grossly negligent and caused the death of Emily.’
Speaking of Seadogz Rib Charter Ltd owner Howley, Ms Agnew KC said: ‘Howley, by failing to ensure that his RIB was operated in a safe manner, i.e. by not having in place policies and procedures which would adequately protect the passengers, is also guilty of a albeit less serious offence.’
Michael Lawrence (left) and Michael Howley (right) at a previous court appearance
Owner Michael Howley is also on trial at Winchester Crown Court on a safety charge
I haven’t suffered another ‘loss of vision’ since the crash, skipper admits
Lawrence admitted he has not suffered another ‘loss of vision’ since the one he claimed to have had when he crashed into the buoy.
The speedboat skipper confessed he has been seen by a number of doctors since the speedboat smash that killed Emily but they have not found a medical condition.
In cross-examination, prosecutor Christine Agnew KC said to the 55 year old he may have become distracted by his face mask.
She said: ‘What did happen was you were fiddling with the face mask and that’s why you missed the buoy.’
Lawrence denied it and told the jury: ‘I never saw a buoy, I’ve got no recollection’, adding that he was ‘very confused’ and ‘in shock’ after the crash.
Ms Agnew KC added: ‘What really happened is that you may have convinced yourself you had a blackout, but you got distracted and you were not being honest.’
The court heard neither Lawrence or Howley ‘appears to have been aware’ of a widely promoted guidance on ‘Passenger Safety on Small Commercial High-Speed Craft and Experience Ride’ – something that should have been ‘highly relevant’.
The 60 minute RIB ride was advertised as ‘adrenaline-fuelled’ and would involve ‘speed’ and ‘some of the signature tight turns, jumps and wake rides that Seadogz have become known for’.
Lawrence held qualifications including an advanced powerboat course, an advanced powerboat instructor course, and had served in the RNLI for 20 years – even receiving a letter of thanks from a senior RNLI figure after his role as on-scene commander in an extensive search for a missing ferry passenger.
On the ride, Emily was placed in the middle due to her age and being the smallest on board. Her feet could not touch the floor and there were no seatbelts.
The court heard the Lewis family felt Lawrence ‘took corners really sharply and felt ‘uncomfortable and not safe’ as he drove ‘too fast’, reaching speeds of up to 47.8 knots (55mph).
Ms Agnew KC said Emily suffered brain damage and her family was told she was ‘unlikely to survive’ before they made the ‘unspeakably hard decision to turn off her life support machine’.
Describing the aftermath, Amy told the court her dying sister said ‘I just want to go home, I just want to go home’ as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
She said she later realised Emily was going to die when her father began crying at hospital as ‘dad doesn’t cry’.
The court heard after the incident, Lawrence told several people – including wife Karen – his mask had blown over his eyes. However, he later gave conflicting accounts and retracted that, the jury was told.
The court heard Lawrence ‘repeatedly’ told first responders wind had ‘blown his face mask over his eyes’ and obstructed his view and claimed he was only travelling 25 knots.
When giving evidence, Lawrence defended the speed he travelled at and told jurors he had gone ‘lightheaded’ and momentarily lost his vision ‘like a sneeze’.
He said: ‘I didn’t believe anything I was doing was unsafe.’
Lawrence broke down as he said: ‘I don’t ever remember seeing the buoy and I do not know what caused it, I’m sorry.
‘All I can remember is I came around the turn, straightened the boat up, and felt a little bit lightheaded maybe. Then I lost my vision, then it came back.
‘I don’t know how to explain it, I referred to it as like [the length of] a sneeze. It was a split second. I don’t know whether I blinked, and as my vision cleared the buoy was right in front of us.
‘As soon as I saw the buoy my thought was pulling the throttle back which should stop the boat. As I pulled the throttle back I heard the thud, that’s all I can remember.
‘I certainly would not put the passengers at risk and I would not want to put myself at risk, but I would not want to put the passengers at risk.
‘I tried to give a ride that was what they expected and wanted and well within the limits of the boat and well within the limits of my capabilities. I’ve never headed at a buoy and turned at the last minute, I don’t believe it to be safe.’
Lawrence told the court his ‘brain was jumbled’ and has hazy memories about the immediate aftermath following the crash.
When Howley gave evidence, he said precautions were always taken to protect passengers and he had prepared a risk assessment to meet the requirement of insurance companies.
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