THE man convicted of the manslaughter of a 44-year-old tax worker who drowned in the River Severn at Stourport will be sentenced at the end of next week.
At Birmingham Crown Court last Thursday, a pre-sentence report on Tom Prescot, of George Street, Kidderminster, was ordered for his hearing, due to be held on Friday, May 20.
On Wednesday last week, a jury found Prescot guilty of the manslaughter of Jane Turner, from Castle Bromwich, Solihull.
He was the helmsman of the 23ft cruiser, Sweetie Pie, which sank on Saturday, September 6, 2003.
He was accused of being grossly negligent in allowing the boat to become overloaded. There were 16 people on board when it sank.
In the court last Thursday, Prescot's defence barrister, Christopher Millington QC, made legal submissions that defects in the boat's design should be taken into account.
He said the main reason for the death of Mrs Turner was down to the lack of an adequate watertight compartment behind the low transom mounting - horizontal bar - at the rear of the boat.
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