# Murder inquiry after pensioner dies on Thames boat



## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

Sun Jun 3, 2007 12:18PM BST

From Reuters today Sunday 3rd June 2007 - 

*Murder inquiry after pensioner dies on Thames boat*

_A murder inquiry has been launched after a 67-year-old man died following a row on a pleasure boat on the River Thames near the Tower of London, police said on Sunday.

Two men have been arrested following the incident at Tower Pier at 8: p.m. on Saturday, and are being held in custody.

The pensioner, who worked on the boat service for a number of years, was found collapsed and taken to the Royal London Hospital where he later died.

"It is believed he had been assaulted," police said in a statement.

He has not been identified until next of kin have been informed.

A post-mortem will take place later on Sunday._


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## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

*A SKIPPER on a luxury river cruiser was beaten to death after refusing to let yobs board his boat. *

The 67-year-old captain told the louts they were too drunk to board his pleasure cruiser. 

But they became aggressive and he was punched and kicked in the stomach as the boat — The Millennium of Peace — was moored at Tower Pier on the River Thames - yards from the Tower of London.

The unnamed captain collapsed and later died in hospital of a suspected heart attack.

A source close to the investigation said: “A group of about three young men tried to get on the boat at 8pm on Saturday as it was moored on the Thames.

“They were all very drunk and the skipper wouldn’t let them get on. They punched and kicked him in the stomach and he fell to the floor with a suspected heart attack.



“All the staff at the company are very upset as he has been working with them for a very long time.

“The Millennium of Peace was about to leave the dock for its last journey of the day when the incident happened. Out of respect all the river cruises have been cancelled for the time being.”

The vessel was scheduled to tour Westminster and take in sites such as the London Eye and Houses of Parliament.

A spokeswoman for Transport for London said: “There was a customer incident between the captain of the boat and an intoxicated passenger. 

“A person has died and I can confirm it was the captain. I believe that the incident occurred when passengers were about to get on the boat.”

Hundreds of tourists enjoy the sight-seeing river cruises for £6.20 one-way or a £7.40 return.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said last night: “We were called at about 8.10pm on Saturday to reports of an altercation on board a pleasure boat at Tower Pier.




“Officers attended and a 67-year-old man was found collapsed. It is believed he had been assaulted.

“London Ambulance Service attended and the man was taken to the nearby Royal London Hospital where he later died.”

She added: “We believe we know the identity of the man, but await formal identification before releasing his identity. Next of kin have been informed.

“Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident and are in custody at separate East London police stations.”

A spokeswoman for City Cruises, which operates The Millennium of Peace, declined to comment

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*An awful event, A well known figure on the river and he will be greatly missed by the river community.

- Rest in Peace*


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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

Absolutely disgraceful that anyone doing his duty should be treated like that let alone a 67-year old man.

Let's hope the culprits feel the full force of the law. If they have any humanity they will have been consumed by guilt since sobering up - I hope they carry it with them for the rest of their lives. (Cloud) 

Rest in peace.

Brian


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

A very sad state of affairs indeed. RIP


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

benjidog said:


> Absolutely disgraceful that anyone doing his duty should be treated like that let alone a 67-year old man.
> 
> Let's hope the culprits feel the full force of the law. If they have any humanity they will have been consumed by guilt since sobering up - I hope they carry it with them for the rest of their lives. (Cloud)
> 
> ...


Well said, Brian. I'm fully with you on that.


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## Keltic Star (Jan 21, 2006)

Deepest sympathy to the Captain's family, what a tragedy.
I suppose that some social worker will suggest to the Court that these yob's have redeeming qualities and need help.


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## VTR1000 (Feb 24, 2007)

From the Currant Bun. June 05, 2007



> TWO brothers wept in court yesterday as they were accused of murdering a ferry captain.
> 
> Andrew and Christopher Liddard were said to have fought with victim Michael Reed, 67, after boarding the vessel.
> 
> ...


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## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Both bankers!!! Hmm, that's cockney rhyming slang, isn't it???!!!


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

This is proof if any was needed that alcohol is a killer not only to the person themselves regarding pickling their liver, but litterally turning them into killers. We all know how being drunk changes the character of people. Some are quite harmless acting silly, but other become extremely violent doing things they would not dream of doing sober. This has been going on for donkeys years which is even more amazing that alcohol is not a banned drug.

I can see those comments raising a few hackles of responsible people who drink to moderation, but what can you do to stop these idiots?. Nothing has worked so far.

I saw death many times as the result of drink whether as the result of assault as with this poor man, or an accident killing not only the person but innocent people as well. If a jumbo jet came down it makes headline news. But innocent people are dying daily as the result of drunk drivers despite drink driving laws with numbers that never make the news far in excess to one jumbo. Over the period of a year, these numbers would make pasengers lost in one jumbo jet incident or indeed a cruise ship sinking with loss of life look very small indeed in comparison. 

The same goes for smoking. This is biggest single avoidable killer known to man causing lung cancer and heart disease not only in themselves, but others. There is already uproar about the ban coming in next month. But this one vice kills hundreds daily. Yes, daily. 50 in my own mortuary at least a week all who's death was contributed to or directly caused by smoking either the person themselves or by passive smoking. Imagine that figure across the country. Those dying of passive smoking is no different really to this drunk killing that poor captain. Smokers are unwittingly killing others as well as themselves. 

Yet, both these known killers are freely available on our streets. Try and ban both there would be absolute outrage, especially if alcohol was banned. Yet both kill more people one way or another than anything else known to man. The only thing worse would be a nuclear bomb that would wipe out best part of the worlds population in one go. Other than that, there is nothing that kills people in the same numbers as smoking and drinking. 

We really do live in a crazy mixed up world. David


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## Thamesphil (Jul 22, 2005)

Oh my god this is the first I've heard of this awful incident. Ben, I'm sure it has come as an absolute shock to you and the rest of the river community and I would like to express my deepest sympathy. As for banning alcohol, there are so many things in this world that are dangerous in the wrong hands, but you can't ban them all. Look what prohibition did to the US in the 1920s. 

Phil


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## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

Thanks phil, i have met him before but did not know him too well,however my father did.

This is not the first death on the river in the past few months, a lighterman was killed about a month ago when the tow rope snapped killing him...my father also knew him well.

It just shows how everybody knows everybody on the river. There were thousands of people who attended his funeral,many of them waterman...even Thames waterman in Doggetts coat and badge outfits carried his coffin.

However sadly the river is a very dangerous place, yet this latest incident is as you said awful news none of us wanted to hear.


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## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

Thamephil

What other answer is there that turns people into killers?. It would seem it was drink that drove that person to allegely killing this poor man. I saw this on a regular basis. There is no difference to killing a person in a rage of temper brought on by being drunk, or killing people driving a car when drunk. People still die, and friends and relatives still suffer.

One death as the result of drink is one too many. No, you can't ban alcohol, but how do we stop it killing innocent people?. Yes, other things in the world are dangerous. But two wrongs don't make a right. More people will die of drink related incidents unless something is done to curb it. 

We as society owe it to the Captain, his relatives and friends to make sure a tragedy like this not happen again. If we don't or can't, we have learned absolutely nothing. David


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

Dave how right you are, it could have been a lot of things, but to commit a crime of taking someone,s life, wether on this Planet or not, all I can say is bring back something that will teach the perpetrators a short, very short, lesson.


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## captainchris (Oct 29, 2006)

Hi Ben,
Very sorry to hear of the death, as you know I am Captain of Havengore, and as such it is my responsibility to deny access to anyone who you think is over the limit. The sad part about it is that you think, not only with your responsibility as Captain, but also being alongside at T


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## captainchris (Oct 29, 2006)

Sorry about that Ben, must have pressed the wrong button somewhere. To continue alongside Tower Pier you would think you are safe enough. Being in Canary Wharf area, I know what those people are like especially on Thursday nights!!! My ensign is at half mast anyway for respect, and I was pleased to hear that all tripping boats stopped for a day in respect.
Best regards,
Chris


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## ddraigmor (Sep 13, 2006)

What a waste of a life.

We hope that the book is thrown at them but as they are wealthy enough, they wil undoubtedly have good Barristers - which always makes me sick as they will be 'defending' and will find 'cause' no doubt due to 'drink'.

They banned smoking in public places - maybe now it is time to ban alcohol on passenger vehicles? Drat, silly me; there's a profit to be made isn't there........

Deepest sympathies to the family.

Jonty


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## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

captainchris said:


> Sorry about that Ben, must have pressed the wrong button somewhere. To continue alongside Tower Pier you would think you are safe enough. Being in Canary Wharf area, I know what those people are like especially on Thursday nights!!! My ensign is at half mast anyway for respect, and I was pleased to hear that all tripping boats stopped for a day in respect.
> Best regards,
> Chris



Indeed Chris, 

I know a friend who was onboard a party boat a few years back now and the whole boat of drunk football supporters started to throw chairs around upstairs.

The captain got the mate and the crew inside the wheelhouse and locked the door, they called the police on the VHF Radio and told them they were going to stop at Greenwich.

After 10 minutes they reached greenwich and every single chair,table and window had been smashed and thrown out into the water,the boat had to be totally refurbished....but luckily all three of the crew were safe and unharmed.

After all a boat can be replaced...but as we all know sadly human life cannot.

Im glad to hear your sailing at half mast,as you know im still down the college but i hope to see you at barge race.


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## karbine (Oct 29, 2005)

The captain asked three men to leave his vessel, the Millennium of Peace, after problems with another passenger. But an argument broke out in which Mr Reed was kicked and punched and suffered a blow to the head. 

The captain, who was on his last night before he retired, collapsed from a suspected heart attack and died later in hospital. 









Mr Reed, 67, who was known as the " Commodore Skipper", had worked on Thames cruise boats for more than 40 years. Today the owners of the Millennium of Peace paid tribute to the "loved waterman" whose death had "shocked everyone working on the river". 

Rita Beckwith, City Cruises managing director, said: "We were deeply upset to hear the news. We're absolutely all still in shock. He was our longest-serving member of staff. 

"He was well-known to everyone on the Thames and a real larger-than-life character. He spent his whole life on the Thames. He grew up on the boats and was a real waterman." 

The Millennium of Peace was set to depart from Tower Pier on a scheduled trip to Greenwich at about 8pm on Saturday when trouble started. A group of doctors, moored on a nearby boat, gave Mr Reed, from Barking, emergency first aid at the scene. 

He was taken to the Royal London Hospital, where he later died.


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## John Briggs (Feb 12, 2006)

Absolutely bloody disgraceful and a terrible tragedy! My heart goes out to the relatives and workmates - not really much more one can say. There is a dreadful feeling of pent up anger and disgust as well as a feeling of impotence.


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## Tmac1720 (Jun 24, 2005)

I'd just like to add my condolences to this poor mans family on what is a terrible tragedy and pointless waste of a good life. I'm sorry to be cynical but the bastards who did this will probably get off with a "slap on the wrist" of a few years in jail.......bloody keelhauled they should be(MAD)


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

A terrible tragedy & my thoughts with the bereaved. 

Blair's "Cafe Culture" does nothing to prevent such behaviour, in fact it seems to encourage alcoholic stupidity even in the Hooray Henries.


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## 6639 (Apr 20, 2006)

I agree with all your sentiments about yob culture and drinking in this country, and My heart goes out to this poor man and his family, it really does. But why is it only in this country that this behaviour happens. in continental countries, especially france where young people are allowed to drink in public places at a much younger age, and in such as australia where there has been 24 hour drinking since I first went over there in the late 70's, they just don't get this sort of behaviour. 
what is wrong with the mindless morons in this country, and I'm not talking about the yobs...... I'm talking about the judges who hand out such lenient sentences and the government for allowing it. 
It's about time the judicial system served the true people of this country...... the victims of crime, and not the perpetrators for a change. and it's about time the judicial system was accountable to the public, and let's get rid of such a** h*L* judges who can't do their b****y jobs right. after all they are the only workers in this sad country of ours who can't be sacked even when they cock up! 
God help us and such poor people such as this captain, because the judicial system won't!


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## IanB (May 11, 2006)

*Australian yobbos*

Sadly things on the drink scene are no better here. Police tried to stop a brawl outside pub in Sydney.Afather and two sons attacked police,a young officer was headbutted from behind and is now paralysed.The three were charged, found not guilty,jury said they were acting in self defence.


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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

Does anyone know if the police ever got anyone for this chap's death?

It is now nearly 2 years since this happened.


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## doraine (Mar 3, 2013)

I thought that there is a PLA bylaw stating its an offence to be under the influence of alcohol on or near the River Thames, not sure how this effects the pleasure boats


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