Police "too busy" to question possible driver of boat in fatal harbour crash

We decided to help the police with their enquiry because they are overloaded with work.

Investigation and cronology and timeline.

SMH Saturday, May 03, 2008

Many of those involved in the accident were from Balmain. Friends
gathered, embraced and cried openly on Darling Street, and soon after
were intoxicated with alcohol as well as grief. Balmain bar staff
described the incident as a pub staff night gone wrong.

The Commercial Hotel on Darling Street had changed hands on Wednesday
and it is understood that staff from hotels in the area had gathered to
mark the occasion with a night of drinking and celebration. Mixed with
the grief was disbelief at the circumstances of the disaster.

Some said they could not understand the decision to pile into a small
boat built for eight people. "I don't know why they did it; I just wish
they hadn't done it," said another friend of the victims.

ABC Fri May 2, 2008

Police are still waiting to talk to the man who they believe was
driving the small boat, but the head of the Royal North Shore Intensive
Care Unit, Doctor Ray Raper, says he is not in any condition to talk.
"He's suffering all the problems that one would expect for a young man
who's been involved in a tragic accident and lost a number of his
friends and colleagues and so on," he said. Marine Area Commander
Superintendent Mark Hutchings says it is too early to say if anyone
will face charges over the crash. "The investigation is moving forward,
I can say that, but at this point in time we're not going to get down
into that detail," he said.

SMH Tuesday, May 06, 2008

THE homicide squad stamped its authority on the investigation
into the harbour tragedy yesterday, with an inspection of the boats
that [smashed into each other] in the cold and dark on Thursday
morning. Flanked by two of his detectives, the homicide squad
commander, Superintendent Geoff Beresford, arrived at water police
headquarters yesterday afternoon. He spent about an hour examining the
boats, moored at the headquarters pier since the accident, and then
talked to investigating officers.
It was an indication of how [seriously police are taking the
investigation] that Superintendent Beresford came personally to talk to
officers attached to Strike Force Condor - which is led by the Coronial
Investigation Unit with assistance from the water police and central
metropolitan region detectives. The coronial unit, attached to the
homicide squad, investigates matters expected to end up before the
coroner.
Police would not be commenting on the particulars of the case until
everyone had been interviewed and the case was more advanced, she said.
"There is still more investigating to be done." On Saturday, the head
of the coronial unit, Detective Inspector David Laidlaw, said police
would not rule out criminal charges.

SMH May 7, 2008

The father of Matthew Reynolds, the man [originally thought to
have been at the helm of the runabout] at the time of last Thursday's
harbour tragedy, says his son knows who was steering the vessel but
will not reveal their identity because of "legal implications".
But one of the men who saw the boat leaving Darling Street Wharf has
confirmed that [Matthew Reynolds, 31, piloted the vessel away from the
pier.] Charlie Reynolds told smh.com.au this morning that his son was
still to give his full version of the deadly night's events to police.
Mr Reynolds has told media that his son was not at the helm at the time
it came into contact with a fishing boat, resulting in the death of six
people. In a conversation with Mr Reynold's solicitor Greg Walsh this
morning it was revealed the [small runabout had both its port and
starboard lights on as well as its mast light when the 14-metre fishing
boat, Jordon's, crashed into it] on Thursday morning. "All the lights
were on and in good working order," Mr Walsh said. He also said that Mr
Reynolds had told him he had not been driving the boat at the time of
the crash.

When asked if his son did know who was steering, Mr Reynolds
said: "I guess he knows but he hasn't said at this stage. There are
legal implications. That will all come out when Matt talks [to
police]." He reiterated that his son was not to blame for the accident.
"I know Matt," Mr Reynolds said. "He's an honest and hardworking guy.
He's a capable person." Mr Reynolds was not sure when his son would be
discharged from hospital.
The company that owns the runabout today [denied a statement by Mr
Reynolds' lawyer that the 31-year-old had permission to use the boat.]
"Sydney Ship Repair and Engineering Pty Ltd wishes to confirm its
earlier statement that the boat involved in last week's accident was
being used without authorisation or its knowledge,'' the statement
read.

Andre Ogle, from Russell Lea in Sydney's inner west, was fishing
at Darling Street Wharf when he saw the runabout arrive between 1am and
1.30am. He last week described the people on the boat as ["a whole
bunch of young people in party mode" and said a man who skippered the
vessel away from the wharf said his name was "Matt".] Mr Ogle
this morning confirmed to smh.com.au that Matt was at the helm when the
runabout left the wharf. "Yes he definitely was," Mr Ogle said. "But
the police have asked me not to make any more statements to the media."

Another of the survivors of the deadly night, 21-year-old Edmund
Renew of Balmain was also asked this morning who was at the helm but
said: "Sorry I don't want to talk about it."

The last thing Mr
Reynolds remembers before being knocked out was talking to his
girlfriend, mother-of-two Ashlie Ayers, his lawyer says. Mr Walsh also
cast doubt on claims Mr Reynolds was using the boat without permission
when the crash happened.

SMH May 8, 2008

THE lawyer for Matthew Reynolds, the man who skippered the
runabout involved in an accident that claimed six lives in Sydney
Harbour last week, maintains that the 31-year-old was in control of the
boat even if he was not steering at the time. ["I'm not suggesting he
wasn't in command of the vessel] [but] he wasn't driving at the time of
the collision," Greg Walsh said.

Mr Reynolds's father, Charlie, said his son would not say who
was steering because of "legal implications". "I guess he knows but he
hasn't said at this stage. That will all come out when Matt talks [to
police]," he said. Mr Walsh said the runabout had its port, starboard
and mast lights on at the time of the collision with the 14-metre
trawler, Jordan's.

Police yesterday would not comment about the progress of their
homicide investigation, but Mr Walsh said he had advised his client
against participating in a formal police interview until his condition
improved. Mr Reynolds said his son's condition was [improving very
slowly] and that he was in a lot of pain. He did not know know when he
would be released from hospital. He reiterated that his son worked for
the boat's owners and had permission to use it. "I know Matt," Mr
Reynolds said. "He's an honest and hard-working guy. He's a capable
person."

Mr Walsh said Mr Reynolds and his uncle were living on Goat
Island and had to use the boat to get to and from the island, he said.
"He's been fishing on it, he's used it to get to the mainland, he did
not steal it," Mr Walsh said.

The company that owns the runabout yesterday again denied Mr
Reynolds had permission to use it or that he worked for the company.
"Sydney Ship Repair and Engineering Pty Ltd wishes to confirm its
earlier statement that the boat involved in last week's accident was
being used without authorisation or its knowledge," its statement said.
Another survivor, Edmund Renew, 21, of Balmain, yesterday would not say
who was at the helm of the boat. "Sorry I don't want to talk about it,"
he said. The last thing Mr Reynolds remembers before being knocked out
was talking to his girlfriend, mother-of-two Ashlie Ayers, 32, his
lawyer said. When he came to in the water, moments later, he was
surrounded by debris and she and four others were dead. A sixth person
was fatally injured.

Cocktail barman Percy Small has been named as the man at the
wheel of the runabout when it crashed into a larger fishing boat,
killing six people.

Detectives investigating the crash will compare forensic
evidence and witness statements after it was initially claimed Matthew
Reynolds was at the helm.
Of the 14 people on the overloaded, 23-foot runabout, six died and
eight were injured, including Mr Reynolds who remains in hospital in a
satisfactory condition.
It is believed those on board have also claimed that a third person may
have been at the wheel during some point in the journey, News Limited
reports.

Witnesses have told police that after Mr Reynolds, a qualified
skipper, negotiated the boat from Balmain Wharf he handed the controls
over to Mr Small. [Mr Small, who holds a boating licence and did not
appear affected by alcohol], safely took the boat across the harbour to
Watsons Bay.

[On their way back to Balmain], the boats collided, and it is
[believed both boats had their lights on at the time], News Limited
reports.

Both Mr Reynolds and Mr Small have yet to make formal statements to police.
Sydney Ship Repair and Engineering, which owns the runabout, again said
yesterday that [Mr Reynolds had taken the boat without knowledge or
authorisation.]

SMH May 20, 2008
[Three weeks after the Sydney Harbour tragedy, police have yet to
establish who was driving the runabout] that collided with a fishing
trawler, killing six young people. Officers attached to Strike Force
Condor have spoken to the two people aboard the trawler Jordon's and
the seven survivors from the runabout about the accident near Bradleys
Head on May 1. Detective Inspector David Laidlaw, who is heading the
inquiry, said not all of them had been formally interviewed. "We're
still gathering evidence in relation to what people [were] doing," he
said.

The lawyer for Matthew Reynolds, who [borrowed] the runabout
[without permission] for the evening and survived the crash, confirmed
his client had yet to be interviewed. "I'm not aware that he has done a
formal interview yet," solicitor Greg Walsh said. "That's a police
matter, I don't want to compromise their investigation," he said.

Police had initially said they were waiting for Mr Reynolds's
condition to improve before interviewing him. At the time he was in a
serious condition in hospital with several broken veterbrae but he left
Royal North Shore Hospital two weeks ago.
Comments:

Were blood tests done on the people to see if alcohol or drugs
played a role in the tragedy? Overloaded stolen boat. Were the lights
on? Did the boats smash into each other or did the stolen boat smash
into the trawler? The boat was reported stolen. Therefore the boat was
unregistered, uninsured and unlicensed.

Did the police try to replace the skipper with a sober person?
Why the delay in charges being laid? Are there special corporate
interests to consider?

Who is directing traffic? News Limited? The police? The Boys Club? All of them? None of them?

Dedicated to those who died so young.