Nicholas Carey
08-07-2004, 12:20 AM
Evidently, it's only too true that on a 40 foot boat you can only get 40 feet away from your shipmates…
From tomorrow's http://news.scotsman.com/img/ts.gif (http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=904642004) (7 August 2004) comes this gem: <span style="font-family:serif;">Scot tied up in yacht mutiny 'behaved out of character'
DAN MCDOUGALL
THE partner of a sailing instructor who yesterday faced a Spanish court over claims he threatened to kill two of his friends and scuttle their boat off the coast of Spain said last night his behaviour was "completely out of character".
Spike Sellers, 32, from Glenfinnan, near Fort William, was interviewed by a magistrate in Viveiro, north-west Spain, yesterday after he and his travelling companions had to be rescued from their boat in the Bay of Biscay. His former crewmates were also interviewed.
The trio were rescued by helicopter in the early hours of Thursday after Mr Sellers’ companions, Ivan Holroyd, 34, and Rachel Rosen, 32, made an SOS call claiming he had threatened to kill them both and sink his 12-metre twin-masted yacht, the Argo.
The couple, who live in Wales, said they had to tackle Mr Sellers and bind his hands and feet with masking tape.
After they had managed to restrain him the three were eventually rescued.
Yesterday, at the courthouse, Mr Sellers and the couple did not acknowledge each other and remained at a distance. The three, dressed in borrowed clothing, looked bemused and nervous.
Ivan Holroyd was the first to be questioned. He spent more than three hours giving his version of what happened. When he emerged he said: "That took a long time but the judge was very straightforward. He wanted to know every detail."
Speaking last night Mr Sellers’ partner, Susan O’Keefe, 30, of Glenfinnan, the mother of his three children, said she had spoken to him since the incident and he sounded "OK".
She said: "This news comes completely out of the blue. Spike did get hit by a car before he left Portugal last week but we have no idea as to what may have been the cause of this. I’ve spoken to Spike and considering everything that has happened he sounds OK. This is completely out of character."
Mr Holroyd, originally from Yorkshire but now living in Llanberis, Gwynedd, and Ms Rosen, from nearby Llanddeiniolen, were thought to have joined Mr Sellers for a fortnight’s sailing holiday a week ago.
When Mr Holroyd and Ms Rosen called for help, a helicopter was sent out to pick them from the boat as it sailed 90 miles off the coast, while a second went back to rescue Mr Sellers seven hours later. When the second rescue team arrived, Mr Sellers was reported to have come out from the cabin with his hands tied behind his back and in a nervous state.
A ship arrived at the scene but it took rescuers more than an hour to coax him aboard.
Ms O’Keefe said she just wanted him home. "He’s a very loving and caring father and husband. We look forward to having him back at home and our thoughts and prayers are with him and the crew."
Further action is at the discretion of the magistrate.
—
[ 08-07-2004, 12:24 AM: Message edited by: Nicholas Carey ]
From tomorrow's http://news.scotsman.com/img/ts.gif (http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=904642004) (7 August 2004) comes this gem: <span style="font-family:serif;">Scot tied up in yacht mutiny 'behaved out of character'
DAN MCDOUGALL
THE partner of a sailing instructor who yesterday faced a Spanish court over claims he threatened to kill two of his friends and scuttle their boat off the coast of Spain said last night his behaviour was "completely out of character".
Spike Sellers, 32, from Glenfinnan, near Fort William, was interviewed by a magistrate in Viveiro, north-west Spain, yesterday after he and his travelling companions had to be rescued from their boat in the Bay of Biscay. His former crewmates were also interviewed.
The trio were rescued by helicopter in the early hours of Thursday after Mr Sellers’ companions, Ivan Holroyd, 34, and Rachel Rosen, 32, made an SOS call claiming he had threatened to kill them both and sink his 12-metre twin-masted yacht, the Argo.
The couple, who live in Wales, said they had to tackle Mr Sellers and bind his hands and feet with masking tape.
After they had managed to restrain him the three were eventually rescued.
Yesterday, at the courthouse, Mr Sellers and the couple did not acknowledge each other and remained at a distance. The three, dressed in borrowed clothing, looked bemused and nervous.
Ivan Holroyd was the first to be questioned. He spent more than three hours giving his version of what happened. When he emerged he said: "That took a long time but the judge was very straightforward. He wanted to know every detail."
Speaking last night Mr Sellers’ partner, Susan O’Keefe, 30, of Glenfinnan, the mother of his three children, said she had spoken to him since the incident and he sounded "OK".
She said: "This news comes completely out of the blue. Spike did get hit by a car before he left Portugal last week but we have no idea as to what may have been the cause of this. I’ve spoken to Spike and considering everything that has happened he sounds OK. This is completely out of character."
Mr Holroyd, originally from Yorkshire but now living in Llanberis, Gwynedd, and Ms Rosen, from nearby Llanddeiniolen, were thought to have joined Mr Sellers for a fortnight’s sailing holiday a week ago.
When Mr Holroyd and Ms Rosen called for help, a helicopter was sent out to pick them from the boat as it sailed 90 miles off the coast, while a second went back to rescue Mr Sellers seven hours later. When the second rescue team arrived, Mr Sellers was reported to have come out from the cabin with his hands tied behind his back and in a nervous state.
A ship arrived at the scene but it took rescuers more than an hour to coax him aboard.
Ms O’Keefe said she just wanted him home. "He’s a very loving and caring father and husband. We look forward to having him back at home and our thoughts and prayers are with him and the crew."
Further action is at the discretion of the magistrate.
—
[ 08-07-2004, 12:24 AM: Message edited by: Nicholas Carey ]