The Yacht Delivery from Hell

by Trevorisinnocent.org, BBC and other sources on 2 Sep 2007 British skipper Jonathon Kelway, 57, recruited his three crew via the online Crew seekers agency and arranged their travel to St Lucia in late April to help him deliver a Beneteau 50 Gin to Europe and so began the yacht delivery from hell.

Trevor Collenette, a retired banker with over 30 years service with Lloyds TSB on the Island of Jersey, along with London couple Martin Genocchio and Kathryn Burman only met their skipper for the first time on 29 April at Gatwick Airport, London.

They set sail from St.Lucia on 2nd May 2007 and they arrived in Gibraltar on 4 June and the yacht was searched by customs. The following day, in the early hours of 5th June, Gibraltar Customs effected a second search using sniffer dogs and apparently went straight to a false, fibreglassed compartment that contained 183 slabs of cocaine valued at £8million.

The crew were arrested and accused of possession, possession with intent to supply and importation of drugs. They faced life imprisonment if convicted.

No evidence was presented in the following 55 days to courts in Gibraltar, tying the agency recruited delivery crew to the importation but the three sailors were held on remand by Gibraltan authorities for nearly two months.

On July 31st Trevor Collenette, Martin Genocchio and Kathryn Burman was released from the Gibraltar prison with no charge on July 31.

James Neish, a journalist in Gibraltar, who has spoken to Mr Collenette, said: 'He spent almost two months in prison and he has described the whole experience as a nightmare.'As far as he is concerned he just wants to resume his normal life.'

Ms Burman said their imprisonment was 'really tough' but that the experience would not stop them sailing again. Ms Burman told BBC London: 'I think the whole experience was numbing...a lot of the time it felt very surreal.'You knew you were in a serious situation, but I think your own defence mechanisms put you into a shocked feeling.'

Mr Genochio said: 'Unfortunately something like this is always at the back of every skipper's and sailor's mind. The boat was fully searched before we left; we went through the basic preparations you go through for any ocean voyage.'

Ms Burman said the pair was separated when they were held in prison, and were only allowed to see each other for one half-hour every week. But they said they would not let the experience put them off. 'We desperately want to get out there,' Ms Burman said.

Jonathan Kelway, who has protested his innocence, was due to appear before Magistrates in Gibraltar again in late August or early September. Meanwhile, his lawyer, Stephen Ffrench Davis is appealing for information from anyone who can help trace the whereabouts of the yacht Gin prior to the delivery.

The yacht's owner, Veljko Vetmar, a Croatian national is wanted in connection with the enquiry.