Businessman Andy Morrell has been found not guilty of the manslaughter of popular musician Frandy Martin Jr. in a 2021 yacht collision.
A nine-member jury took just over two hours to reach a verdict Thursday following a High Court trial that lasted more than two weeks.
Sitting in the dock as the foreman of the jury announced its decision, Mr. Morrell’s head dipped slightly as a look of relief crossed his face.
After leaving the dock, the businessman hugged his wife and kissed her on the cheek.
Meanwhile, Mr. Martin’s widow and supporters comforted each other at the back of the courtroom after the verdict was read out.
‘I am grateful’
Outside the courthouse, Mr. Morrell’s voice cracked with emotion as he spoke to the Beacon.
“I am grateful that justice has prevailed,” he said. “I never felt like I was in the wrong here. I remain mindful that someone lost their life. I am very sad about that. But very, very relieved.”
Jurors retired to consider the verdict at 11:11 a.m. following a two-hour summation of the evidence by Justice Stanley John. They returned shortly before 1:30 p.m. and delivered their verdict.
Closing arguments
In closing statements the day before the verdict, jurors were urged by Mr. Morrell’s lawyer not to let race influence their decision.
Mr. Morrell, who is white, denied causing the collision, insisting that he was merely a guest on a friend’s yacht when it occurred.
In closing defence arguments on Wednesday, King’s Counsel Charles Bott urged the all-black jury not to “allow colour to be an aspect in this case.”
“In this accident, the community lost one of its own, and I can’t doubt that many of you will have been touched by that loss,” he said. “It won’t help the memory of Mr. Frandy Martin if you convict someone who is not guilty.”
He added that Mr. Morrell, 60, is not a “blow-in,” but has been part of the VI community for 55 years.

Prosecutor Sandip Patel, also a King’s Counsel, used his closing statement to brand Mr. Morrell a “liar.”
“His gross negligence resulted in a catastrophic collision,” Mr. Patel said. “Mr. Morrell had in law a duty of care.”
The prosecutor also attempted to cast doubt on the businessman’s claim that he was near the yacht’s helm but not at the wheel in the minutes leading up to the collision.
“We say that is contrary to all the evidence and a blatant lie,” he said.
Three charges tossed
Last week, Mr. Morrell took the stand himself on Friday and insisted he was not to blame for the crash that occurred at 6:26 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2021.
Though Mr. Patel accused him of telling a “pack of lies” about the tragedy, Mr. Morrell said the boat carrying Mr. Martin was travelling at a dangerous speed and failed to yield the required right of way leading up to the evening incident.
The courtroom clash came after Mr. John directed the jury to find Mr. Morrell not guilty on charges of causing injury to three other people involved in the Sir Francis Drake Channel collision.
Mr. John ruled on Friday of last week that Mr. Morrell had “no case to answer” on those matters, but he allowed the manslaughter case to go ahead.
‘I was near the helm’
The fatal collision occurred when Mr. Morrell was by the helm of the Blue Bayou yacht while its owner, Graham Stanton, had gone below deck to use the restroom.
Mr. Morrell testified that the boat was on autopilot and he had not touched the throttle or steering wheel before it collided with the boat carrying Mr. Martin and two other people minutes later.

Giving evidence, Mr. Morrell described his exchange with Mr. Stanton before the owner went to the restroom: “The inference was, ‘I’m going down below; just keep a lookout.’”
Mr. Morrell added, “I was near the helm. I don’t recall getting in the seat behind the wheel. … I wasn’t in command of the boat. I was a guest. I didn’t ever hold the steering wheel.”
‘You weren’t paying attention’
Mr. Patel, who is prosecuting the case for the crown, accused Mr. Morrell of not paying attention when he was near the helm in Mr. Stanton’s absence.
Mr. Morrell replied, “I disagree with that.”
Mr. Patel pressed further.
“The reason I suggest you were lying about that is because you weren’t paying attention,” he said.
Mr. Morrell replied, “I strongly disagree with that.”
Right of way
Mr. Morrell, who described himself as an experienced sailor, said that under international regulations the Blue Bayou had right of way at the time of the collision and that the other boat, the Yeya, should have given way.
In response to questions from his defence attorney, Mr. Morrell said he never regarded himself as captain of the Blue Bayou at any point.
Before the collision, Mr. Morrell said, he was looking from “side to side” and “didn’t see any approaching lights.”
Speaking about the crash, he said, “There was a very, very loud bang — the loudest noise I ever remember hearing.”
After the collision, Mr. Stanton took command of the boat and drove it to Nanny Cay. On the way, Mr. Morrell said, he asked Mr. Stanton three times to go back to the scene to check on the other boat.
“I just remember saying we have got to go back,” he said. “He said no each time. I think he believed there was nobody on the boat. I felt otherwise.”
Stanton testimony
Mr. Stanton, a fund manager, testified at the start of the trial via video link from Switzerland, telling the court that he believed the other boat had slipped its mooring and he wanted to get his badly injured wife and two children to the hospital as soon as possible.
Asked by Mr. Bott to respond to prosecution claims that his negligence had been to blame for the wreck, Mr. Morrell said, “It’s entirely untrue. I categorically deny that.”
He added, “The boat that was to give us the right of way was travelling at a dangerous rate of speed.”
Captain Richard Dinapoli, a maritime expert, gave evidence for the defence via video-link from New Jersey on Tuesday, alleging that the actions of the Yeya were the root cause of the collision.
Asked if the Yeya was travelling at a safe speed in the ten minutes before the incident when it was averaging 29-30 knots, Mr. Dinapoli said, “No, not at all.”
The witness insisted the root cause of the collision was the Yeya’s failure to give way as required by international regulations.
“It was just going too fast,” he stated.
‘Smoke and mirrors’
In his closing statement, Mr. Bott described the prosecution’s case as a “crazy” situation of “smoke and mirrors” which was “based largely on guesswork.”
“The truth is this is not a case of manslaughter at all,” Mr. Bott said, adding, “This case is and always has been a mistake.”