Mike Lynch yacht sinking latest: Bayesian captain ‘under investigation’ for manslaughter and shipwreck

The captain of the Bayesian insisted he did not see the storm that sank the Bayesian last week.

Speaking of the storm, James Catfield, 51, said on Tuesday: “We didn’t see it coming.”

A judicial official, who asked not to be named, confirmed to Reuters on Monday the earlier reports in Italian media that the New Zealander was being investigated by Italian prosecutors after the superyacht capsized in a tornado off the coast of Sicily last Monday.

Sir David said he hopes to visit Letby in prison as part of an investigation into whether the serial baby killer may be the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Letby is serving 15 whole-life sentences for seven murders and eight attempted murders of babies in her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.

My colleague Jabed Ahmed reports:

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch was among seven people who died after the luxury superyacht Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily early on Monday morning

The 59-year-old is known for founding Invoke Capital and Autonomy Corporation and had been in the headlines after he was cleared of charges in a high-profile fraud case.

My colleague Barney Davis reports:

Italian prosecutors have placed Captain James Cutfield under investigation over the deaths of Mike Lynch and six others after the British tech tycoon’s superyacht sank off Sicily last week, a judicial source told Reuters.

The official, who asked not to be named, confirmed earlier reports in Italian media that New Zealander Cutfield was being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck.

A nautical architect that was part of the team that designed the Bayesian has said the superyacht was “built to go to sea in any weather”.

In an interview published on Monday in the daily La Stampa, Franco Romani also said it was likely the yacht had taken on water from a side hatch that was left open.

He added that the crew underestimated the bad weather and that they should have made sure that all openings had been shut and the anchor removed before the storm hit the boat.

British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among the people initially unaccounted for after his superyacht Bayesian sank in a storm off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of Monday.

After a decade-long legal battle which had seen him extradited to the US to face an $11bn fraud case, Mr Lynch had celebrated by inviting his close friends, colleagues and those who helped him on his legal team aboard his boat as a gesture of gratitude.

My colleagues Rachel Hagan and Jabed Ahmed report:

Italian prosecutors have officially launched an investigation into James Cutfield, the captain of a superyacht owned by British tech mogul Mike Lynch, after the vessel sank off the coast of Sicily last week, resulting in the deaths of Lynch and six others, according to Italian news reports.

A 51-year-old New Zealand national, Mr Cutfield is being investigated for manslaughter and shipwreck, the Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera said.

• Why weren’t passengers who remained on board the vessel warned about escaping from the yacht?
• Why were several of the passengers in one cabin?
• Why did the boat sink?
• Why were nearby vessels not similarly affected?
• What weather warnings was the Bayesian alerted to?
• How long will it take to recover the sailing vessel?