Channel boat damage: man arrested on suspicion of endangering life
The man, who has not been named by police, was held on suspicion of four offences, two of them under maritime safety laws.
A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage with intent to endanger life after a boat carrying an emergency responder was damaged in the English Channel, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.
The force said the man, of no fixed abode, was also arrested on suspicion of destroying ships or fixed platforms or endangering their safety, an offence under section 11 of the Aviation and Maritime Security Act 1990.
The arrest also covered suspicion of criminal damage and of conduct endangering ships, structures or individuals under section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
A report of the incident was received on the evening of 22 September, according to the force, and the arrest was made the next day, on 23 September.
The man remained in custody on 24 September, NBC News reported.
The statement did not give a motive. It did not say where in the Channel the boat was damaged, who the emergency responder was working for, or whether anyone was hurt.
The two maritime offences named in the arrest carry very different maximum sentences. Section 11 of the 1990 Act covers anyone who “unlawfully and intentionally” destroys a ship, and a person guilty of that offence “is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life”, the legislation states.
Section 58 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 carries a maximum of two years in prison on conviction on indictment, or a fine, or both.
The 1995 Act also sets out who that section can apply to. It covers “the master of, or any seaman employed in, a United Kingdom ship”, and masters and seamen on ships registered outside the United Kingdom while those vessels are in United Kingdom ports or waters.
The four offences listed by the force are suspicions at this stage. The constabulary did not say whether the man would face charges, or when any court appearance might take place.