Man pleads ‘not guilty’ to boat death charges

Matthew Eteson, 41, of Church Road, Leyland, denied two charges of manslaughter by gross negligence at Carlisle Crown Court.

His fiancé Kelly Webster, 36, and her daughter Lauren Thornton, 10, died whilst sleeping on a private yacht during a family trip to the Lake District over the Easter holidays last year.

Police were called to Lake Windermere by the ambulance service on April 1, after it was reported that two people were unconscious on the boat, which was moored to a jetty in Bowness.

The mum and daughter were airlifted to Royal Lancaster Infirmary where they later died. Eteson was also taken to hospital but was released the following day.

A Marine Accident Investigation Branch report said the pair had suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.

Eteson is due to go on trial in November.