Stephen Fossi, who was found guilty on Tuesday of two counts of manslaughter stemming from a 2015 boat crash, was ordered to pay $45,000 per count by Justice Nicola Byer at the High Court Wednesday afternoon.
Ms. Byer, who told the court that she has frequently pondered how the lives of so many individuals worldwide were affected by the wreck, said she took into account the defendant’s previous good character when deciding on a sentence.
Mr. Fossi has had no previous accidents or convictions, said the justice, and various former co-workers all testified that they considered him a responsible captain.
Additionally, the justice said she believed the defendant was remorseful, and has already suffered from emotional trauma.
“I know your life will never be the same,” she told Mr. Fossi.
The New Zealand native, who was the director of marine operations at Oil Nut Bay at the time of the incident, allegedly wrecked the 33-foot vessel Inevitable into the rocks near Cow Mouth on Virgin Gorda in the early morning hours of Jan. 24, 2015, killing passengers Kari Anne Way, of the United States, and Howard Anderson, of Jamaica.
The prosecution claimed that the wreck occurred because Mr. Fossi was impaired by alcohol and made a series of negligent decisions while driving.
However, the captain, who testified during the trial, adamantly denied being intoxicated at the time of the incident, and said he’s unsure if he was even driving the vessel, as he has no memory of the moments before the crash.
See the March 3, 2016 edition for full coverage.