Emily Lewis: Two former lifeboatmen avoid jail over speedboat death of 15-year-old on Southampton Water

The family of a 15-year-old girl killed in a speedboat crash have spoken of their devastation at her loss as the “coward” skipper and company owner avoided being sent to prison.

Emily Lewis, 15, suffered fatal injuries after the rigid inflatable boat (rib) collided with a 4.5m high buoy at 36.6 knots on Southampton Water on 22 August 2020.

A number of other passengers were also seriously injured.

Speedboat skipper Michael Lawrence and company owner Michael Howley were handed 18-week prison sentences suspended for two years at Winchester Crown Court in connection with the death.

Both men had previously served as RNLI lifeboatmen.

Lawrence, 55, who was driving the boat, was previously found not guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence, but guilty of failing to maintain a proper lookout and failing to proceed at a safe speed, by a jury.

Howley, 52, the owner of Seadogz, the company which ran the boat trip, was convicted by majority verdict of not operating the craft safely.

At the trial, Christine Agnew KC, prosecuting, told how Emily’s parents, Simon and Nikki, had made the decision to take her and sister Amy, 18, for a “high thrills” speedboat ride.

The boat was recorded to travel at speeds of 47.8 knots, which is in excess of an expired speed limit of 40 knots (46mph), which she said both defendants believed was still in place.

The ride, which was said to have taken place in “perfect conditions”, saw the Stormforce 950 rib cross the wake of a Red Falcon ferry five times, before heading straight towards the North West Netley buoy, which measures 4.69m above the water line.

The boat was travelling towards it for 14 seconds at a speed of 38.6 knots (44mph), before hitting it and throwing passengers into the water and injuring others.

Emily suffered from internal injuries from being crushed up against the metal handle in front of her.

She was taken ashore by another boat, and then transported to hospital, where she later died.

Her parents decided to turn off her life support after being told by medical staff she had suffered from oxygen starvation to the brain and her injuries were “unsurvivable”.

‘I will never forgive you’

Reading her victim impact statement to the court, Emily’s mother Nicola wiped away tears, as she looked at Lawrence and said: “You have taken away from us not being able to see Emily grow into the beautiful young lady, the amazing adult that she would have been. I will never forgive you for this.

“It is two and a half years and you have kept us in this hell, you could have taken responsibility for what happened that day but you have chosen not to. To me, you are just a coward only thinking about yourself. You show no remorse.

“You are a weak man. I hope that your sentence gives you an opportunity to reflect on what you have done.”

Emily’s father, Simon, said: “The death of my amazing, wonderful daughter Emily has truly broken me.

“There is no day, hour or minute that I do not think about her. I miss her so much that some days that pain is physical. I want and need her back in my life, yet I know that this is not possible.”

Her sister Amy, who was 18 at the time of the crash and suffered a fractured arm, said: “To describe it as the worst day of my life would be an understatement.

“No words can describe the deep pain and suffering of that day, it’s pain you cannot speak of, only experience, and for the last two years I have felt this very feeling every day.”

Mark Ashley, defending Lawrence, of Blackfield, New Forest, said that his client’s actions were “out of character” and added: “We are dealing with a good man who has made a mistake.

“He is deeply, deeply affected by what has happened. There isn’t a day that goes by when he doesn’t wish it was he who died.”

Keely Harvey, representing Howley, of Hordle, Hampshire, said that he “cared” about the safety of his passengers and added: “He is highly remorseful, he is a man who will be forever affected by this.”

The court previously heard that Seadogz had received three complaints from passengers suffering back injuries in 10 years – with one person injured during a ride in 2012 receiving a £300,000 payout.