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Cardiff Bay boat crash left girl, 11, brain damaged, Cardiff Bay speedboat crash sailor told to 'go faster'
(about 2 hours later)
Two leading British sailors crashed their speedboats into each other and left a schoolgirl with brain damage, a court has heard. One of Britain's top sailors was urged to "go faster" before a night-time speedboat crash which left a schoolgirl brain damaged, a jury has heard.
Nia Jones and Elleni Morus, both 17 at the time, collided in darkness in Cardiff Bay on 27 October, 2010. Nia Jones said "sod it", accelerated but then collided with another boat in October 2010, Cardiff Crown Court was told.
They were carrying girls, aged 10-14, who were on a residential sailing course, Cardiff Crown Court heard. She and Elleni Morus, then both 17, deny speeding and not keeping a proper lookout in Cardiff Bay.
They admit piloting the boats without navigation lights but deny speeding and keeping a proper lookout. But they have admitted piloting the boats without navigation lights.
The crash was so "violent" two passengers were hurled into the water and a third fell halfway in. The pair, both from Cardiff, have both represented Great Britain in sailing. They were in charge of a party of 24 schoolgirls aged 10-14 on a residential sailing course during half-term holidays.
The crash between the boats they were piloting was so "violent" two passengers were hurled into the water and a third fell halfway in.
A fourth girl, an 11-year-old who was left brain damaged, was thrown from one boat and into another.A fourth girl, an 11-year-old who was left brain damaged, was thrown from one boat and into another.
'Relieved' 'Go faster'
In the hours before the collision, Miss Jones and Miss Morus had taken the party of girls ice skating and were returning to their hostel late at night when they crashed, the court heard. In the hours before the collision Miss Jones and Miss Morus, who are now both 20 years old, had taken the girls ice skating. They and were returning to their hostel late at night in the speedboats when they crashed, the court heard.
Moments before, some passengers urged Miss Jones to drive faster, the court was told. Miss Jones began speeding and weaving after being told "go faster, go faster" by her young passengers, it was alleged.
In evidence, a passenger told the court Miss Jones was warned not to "wake jump" - when a boat jumps over the waves made by another - in the dark, just minutes before the crash. But after weaving in the dark and jumping the wake - when a boat jumps over the waves made by another - of her friend Miss Morus' speedboat, they collided.
"Nick Sawyer, the head coach, came onto our boat, driven by Nia Jones, before we went back across the bay," she said. One of the schoolgirls thrown into the water, who was 11 at the time of the incident but is now 14, said Miss Jones was begged to go faster by her young passengers.
"He said 'It's dark so don't do what you were doing when you came across' which was going across each others wakes. I remember when Nick said that I felt quite relieved because I didn't want to weave in the dark." "We were urging Nia to go faster and she said, 'sod it' and then did it," she told the court.
Black silhouettes "We were excited but some people told Nia to slow down. She went over the wake of the other boat a couple of times before we crashed."
But the schoolgirl, who was 14 at the time, said they were soon jumping the wake of the boat piloted by Miss Morus. The girl, who cannot be named, said the boats collided as they turned into each other's wakes.
"We maybe jumped the wake of the other boat five or six times and then it was a big jolt - enough to throw people out and into the water. "Just before we collided I think we all knew we were going to crash but we didn't move or scream, we didn't have time to," said the girl, who appeared via videolink in her school uniform.
"I could see the other boat just before our crash. I just remember thinking we weren't going to make it behind the other boat just before we hit it. 'I couldn't swim back'
"You could only see the other boats on the water as black silhouettes. I was sitting at the back and holding onto some rope when we crashed. Everyone fell out or hit something." She told the court she did not remember being thrown out of the boat but recalls being in the water.
"I was in there for a couple of minutes before they picked me up," said the teenager.
"I was really cold and I was quite shocked so I couldn't swim back to the boat."
The court had previously heard Miss Jones was warned not to "wake jump" in the dark, just minutes before the crash.
Oliver Willmott, prosecuting, told the court four inflatable speed boats illegally set off across Cardiff Bay without any lights on.Oliver Willmott, prosecuting, told the court four inflatable speed boats illegally set off across Cardiff Bay without any lights on.
"Two of the four boats were more powerful than the others and the defendants ran to the top of the slipway in order to get them," he said. "Two of the four boats were more powerful than the others and the defendants ran to the top of the slipway in order to get them," said Mr Willmott.
"Nicholas Sawyer was the chief instructor of the sailing course and he told the girls to be sensible.""Nicholas Sawyer was the chief instructor of the sailing course and he told the girls to be sensible."
Sawyer and Cardiff Bay Yacht Club, who organised the course, have admitted offences in connection with the incident and breaking health and safety regulations.Sawyer and Cardiff Bay Yacht Club, who organised the course, have admitted offences in connection with the incident and breaking health and safety regulations.
The court heard Miss Jones and Miss Morus were not qualified to drive the high-powered rigid inflatable boats at night. They have admitted piloting the boats without navigation lights on the night of 27 October, 2010 but both deny failing to travel at a safe speed and failing to keep a proper lookout.The court heard Miss Jones and Miss Morus were not qualified to drive the high-powered rigid inflatable boats at night. They have admitted piloting the boats without navigation lights on the night of 27 October, 2010 but both deny failing to travel at a safe speed and failing to keep a proper lookout.
The trial continues.The trial continues.