Inquests into deaths of four Brits killed in Bayesian superyacht tragedy to open

4 October 2024, 06:24 | Updated: 4 October 2024, 06:41

Inquests into the deaths of four British victims of the Bayesian superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily are due to open on Friday.

Billionaire Dr Lynch, 59, who founded software giant Autonomy in 1996, was on the vessel when it sank during a storm in August.

His daughter Hannah Lynch, 18, Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his 71-year-old wife Judy Bloomer also died in the disaster.

Inquests into the four's deaths are due to be opened at hearings in Ipswich, Suffolk, on Friday.

The luxury superyach worth £30m sank near Palermo after it was hit by a freak storm just after 5am on August 19.

Of the 22 passengers and crew aboard the boat, 15 were rescued, including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares.

Coroner's service listings indicate that Dr Lynch and his daughter both lived in London, while the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks in Kent, and all four died on August 19.

Suffolk's senior coroner Nigel Parsley is due to preside over Friday's hearings.

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There were 22 people on board the Bayesian and 15 of them were rescued, including Dr Lynch's wife Angela Bacares.

Seven died in the tragedy, including US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas who was working as a chef on the vessel.

Dr Lynch was cleared in June of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011. The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.

The boat trip was a celebration of Mr Lynch's acquittal in a fraud case in the US.

The businessman, who founded the software giant Autonomy in 1996, was cleared in June of carrying out a massive fraud relating to its 11 billion US dollar (£8.64 billion) sale to US company Hewlett Packard.

Why did the superyacht Bayesian sink?

Italian prosecutors have launched a manslaughter investigation into the incident, with the actions of the ship's captain and crew to come under the spotlight.

The Prosecutor's Office of Termini Imerese, led by Ambrogio Cartosio, said it is investigating the reasons behind the sinking.

Authorities have said they are "investigating shipwreck and multiple counts of culpable manslaughter" after the boat capsized.

It's been suggested the boat sank in as little as 60 seconds, based on eye-witness reports.