Emily Lewis death: Boat skipper tells trial he is not a show-off

The skipper of a speedboat who was behind the wheel when it crashed and killed a 15-year-old girl has told a court he is not a show-off.

Emily Lewis died after a boat driven by Michael Lawrence hit a buoy in Southampton Water on 22 August 2020.

Mr Lawrence told Winchester Crown Court he had lost his vision for a "split second" before the crash and had not deliberately steered towards the buoy.

Mr Lawrence, 55, denies manslaughter by gross negligence.

The court heard Mr Lawrence had spent more than 20 years with the RNLI, first as a volunteer and later as an employee.

Giving evidence, he said he had driven the rigid inflatable boat involved in the crash for seven or eight years.

He described taking a selfie of himself wearing a Seadogz branded face mask on the day of the fatal ride, a precaution he said he was taking to protect his elderly parents during the Covid pandemic.

He told the court there was a "happy" atmosphere on the boat as Emily and her family anticipated what should have been an enjoyable 60-minute ride.

It was put to Mr Lawrence that "some mariners can be show-offs" and asked if that described him.

"No," he replied. "I tried to give a ride that was the ride they expected and wanted - well within the limits of the boat and within my capability."

He added: "I've spent my whole life on the water and my whole life I have gone to show people how to be safe on the water and I have gone out to try to save people."

Mr Lawrence said he had neither aimed the boat at the buoy nor deliberately tried to change direction from it at "the last moment" as it was a practice he considered unsafe.

He said his final memories before the crash were losing his vision in what felt like "a split second" and, when it returned, he saw the buoy and attempted to stop the boat.

"As I pulled the throttles back I heard a thud - that's all I can remember," he told the court.

He said his next memory was of "people everywhere" and wanting to get those overboard out of the water.

Mr Lawrence, of Blackfield in the New Forest, also denies charges of failing to maintain a proper lookout and failing to proceed at a safe speed.

Michael Howley, 52, the owner of Seadogz - the company that operated the boat trip - is also on trial accused of not operating the boat safely. He denies the charge.

The trial continues.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].