Pirates May Have Killed British Couple Sailing Stolen Yacht
"A British couple were found dead on a stolen yacht off the coast of Africa after going on the run from the police, an inquest heard today.Businessman Peter Clarke, 49, and interior designer Sharon Arthurs-Chegini, 46, lived a "champagne and cocaine" lifestyle beyond their means, the hearing was told.
Though the cause of the couple's death was not clear, they may have been killed by pirates or could have starved to death, the inquest heard.
The couple stole a luxury boat from Mylor harbour in Cornwall in March 2005 and sailed it to the nearby port of Fowey, where they were both arrested and appeared in court.
The pair skipped bail and police issued a warrant for their arrest but they took another boat from a harbour in Portugal and apparently sailed south.
Their bodies were found badly decomposed months later after the boat was spotted floating 12 miles off the coast of Senegal by fishermen on 7 September 2006.
Arthurs-Chegini's family have said the Senegalese authorities suspected that pirates were responsible for killing them, but the inquest heard they may have starved to death.The bodies were severely emaciated and there were no provisions or fresh water on board.
A diary entry from Arthurs-Chegini from June 2006 described how she had little water and Clarke would not move from his bed.
Jade Dunbar, Arthurs-Chegini's stepdaughter, told the inquest in Truro, Cornwall, that her parent had lived the "champagne and cocaine" lifestyle.
"She played the hostess very well and always looked glamorous, she was always the life and soul of the party. She would not be content with serving wine at a party, she would always be lavish and serve champagne.
"She dabbled in cannabis and cocaine, living beyond her means with a decadent lifestyle. She loved boats and saw the lifestyle of having a boat as glamorous."
Clarke's mother, Sylvia, said he had served two jail terms for fraud and had "globetrotted" before settling in Cornwall.
"He would disappear for years at a time, and even failed to tell me he had been married and had a daughter, until the girl was three months old," she said.
"He lived his life to excess. He was always searching for something but never seemed to find it - he was charming and could butter up any female."
Arthurs-Chegini, a mother of three, ran her business Chegini Design from her home in Falmouth, Cornwall, and Clarke ran a financial consultancy from his home in Penryn, Cornwall.
The inquest continues."(guardian.co.uk2010)
*This article is an exerpt from The Guardian.co.uk
Gaurdian.co.uk.onlinearticle.2008. "Pirates May Have Killed British Couple Sailing Stolen Yacht" Ret. 2011, July 11th
when you are going for sailing in deep sea, you might afraid of pirates. Pirates kill the people for money and their boat. Government should take some legal action to stop this crime.
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