Police coxswain gives evidence in inquest on fatal collision at sea

A coroner’s inquest opened on Monday morning with evidence from a police coxswain who described the moments leading up to the deaths of two Spanish men during a chase at sea in 2020.

Mohamed Abdeslam Ahmed, 40, and Mustafa Dris Mohamed, 49, from Ceuta sustained catastrophic injuries when their rigid-hulled inflatable boat was involved in a collision at sea with a Royal Gibraltar Police vessel in the early hours of March 8, 2020.

A jury of 11 was empanelled on Monday and the case, which is presided over by Deputy Coroner Karl Tonna, is being heard afresh some years after an earlier inquest was first held.

Mr Tonna told the jury of eight women and three men that the inquest is a fact-finding exercise and the jurors will need to determine who, where, when and how the deaths took place, while also considering the conduct of the police officers.

The court heard from the coxswain who was navigating police interceptor, Sir John Chapple, when it collided with the RHIB.

In evidence, the coxswain detailed the events leading up to and following the fatal collision.

He told the court he received a call from Windmill Hill Signal Station at 2.30am regarding a "suspect” RHIB on the Eastside, and in turn, he called the Guardia Civil to relay the information.

The coxswain said he had left the navigation aids switched off when he departed from the marine base as the light caused him to lose vision at night, likening this to the effect on vision when using phone screen at nighttime.

He described how the 9.8 tonne police interceptor was the “fastest in the fleet” and was chasing a 1.2 tonne 14m RHIB with four high powered engines, which was avoiding apprehension using various tactics.

This included “erratic turns, splashing water, and throwing missiles” at the police vessel.

The coxswain said the RHIB had made “sharp turns” and the heavy spray this caused would “temporarily disable visibility” onboard the police vessel.

He told the court he was confident of his visual awareness without navigation aids, adding he felt that RGP vessel was within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.

During the case at sea, the coxswain described how he had felt an impact and water began “rushing into the cabin”.

“I thought ‘this is it’,” he said.

He said he reduced the vessel’s speed and boarded the RHIB after his police colleague.

The coxswain said he found two “agitated” men at the front of the RHIB, and when he looked further there was a deceased man and another who was seriously injured.

He said he attempted to lift the injured man and could not, and that a passenger on the RHIB told him it that the collision was not the coxswain’s fault and “it was an accident”.

His evidence was that the RHIB was then towed to the RGP’s marine base “where an ambulance would be waiting”.

The coxswain added that no first aid was given as they were not trained, adding that the police officers were “suffering from trauma” in that moment.

When questioned about the “log defender” on the hull of the vessel, Sir John Chapple, the coxswain described this as a saw on the bow made from thick metal that had been presented to the marine section as an addition to “preserve the propellors from the floating debris in the water”.

Jamas Hodivala, KC, and Barnabas Barnston represent the interests of two police officers, and they were assisted by Shane Danino.

Christopher Finch is acting on behalf of the families of the deceased.

Neil Costa represents the RGP and was assisted by Louise Anne Turnock.

The inquest is a fact-finding exercise that is not tasked with apportioning criminal or civil liability.

The jurors, however, may make recommendations after hearing the evidence if they decide this is appropriate.

The inquest continues.