A WOMAN drowned when a boat’s owners ignored lifeguard warnings that it was seriously overloaded with partygoers, a court was told yesterday.

Jane Turner became trapped in a small cabin when the pleasure cruiser capsized and “sank like a stone” after a 12-year-old boy had been at the helm.

Attempts to rescue the 45-year-old tax worker failed and she was certified dead at hospital. The vessel had only two lifejackets on board.

The boat’s co-owners and a former boyfriend of one of the women appeared in court yesterday charged with manslaughter. Ruth Pearson, 39, Janice Ward, 42, and Thomas Prescot, 48, who was responsible for the helm of the vessel that night, deny the charge.

They had been holding a boat-warming party to celebrate the purchase of Sweetie Pie on the night of the tragedy on the River Severn in September last year.

Philip Shears, QC, for the prosecution, said that the defendants were criminally negligent in allowing the 23ft-boat on the river in a seriously overloaded state. “There were no less than 16 people on that small vessel which in due course overturned then shortly afterwards sank like a stone trapping Jane Turner in the small cabin where she met her death,” he said.

Mr Shears accused the trio of gross negligence, saying that they had failed to heed warnings from a patrol boat that the craft was overloaded. They also ignored a public announcement made over a loud speaker ordering them into shore to let people off.

The party started in the afternoon with a barbecue at which there was “no shortage” of alcohol and continued after some guests watched an England football match in a nearby pub.

Mr Prescot, of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, then took 16 people upstream to see a fireworks display.

A Severn Area Rescue Association patrol boat pulled alongside the craft to ask whether the boat was overloaded, but witnesses recalled the warning being laughed off and the boat moved away “see-sawing from port to starboard”.

Mr Shears said that shortly after the display finished Janice Ward’s 12-year-old son had taken the helm and headed for the marina to drop people off.

The lawyer said that the boy, who had some experience of boats, was in charge as they turned into the mooring area.

He said that Mrs Ward’s other son “came out of the cabin with a lady friend and went on to the starboard deck to make his way forward to assist with the mooring and it was at that moment the boat tilted to its starboard side throwing people into the water”.

“It was dark, people were screaming out, a number of people were pulled into the boat over the stern,” he said.

“A man shouted out, ‘Get in the cabin.’ A number of people did just that. Water poured over the stern and into the cabin and as the boat sunk some were able to escape through the cabin door. Three did not.”

Other boat owners helped to pull people from the water. Meanwhile, a man in the cabin managed to force the hatch and escape with another woman, leaving Mrs Turner.

Rescue workers eventually used a hammer to smash the front window of the cabin.

Mrs Turner was lifted on to a pontoon where paramedics unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate her. Mr Shears said: “You may conclude drink clouded the judgment of the defendants and played a part in the decision to embark on a trip in a grossly overloaded boat.”

Ms Pearson, of Kidderminster, and Ms Ward, of Stourport, spoke only to confirm their names but admitted in police interviews that they did not feel in charge of proceedings.

The trial continues.

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