The millionaire son-in-law of a British lord has been charged with manslaughter after a boat crash in the Caribbean left a man dead.
Graham Stanton allegedly left the scene after an impact caused his young children - then aged six and eight - to be thrown into the sea.
According to reports, his wife Sophie, 44, is the daughter of Tory peer Ian Macpherson, and holds the title of Lord Strathcarron, suffered significant injuries during the collision.
Another woman was present at the time and a man, Frandy Martin Jr., died from his injuries after the impact in the British Virgin Islands in October 2021.
Stanton is accused of leaving the scene of the accident after his 40ft motor cruiser hit a powerboat that had two women and a Martin Jr. onboard. He was also charged with failing to render assistance after a collision.
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The crash occurred in the British Virgin Islands (Getty Images)His boat, Blue Bayou, has since been repainted and renamed after the incident.
Another man, Andrew Morrell, has been charged with manslaughter, causing serious injury to a person while on board a vessel and failing to render assistance after a collision.
Businessman Morrell took control of the boat shortly before the impact. The Daily Mail reports that evidence relating to Morrell has allegedly gone missing.
Frandy Martin Jr. died from his injuries (Facebook)Morrell was arrested shortly after the incident and was subsequently charged and bailed in April 2022. Stanton, meanwhile, was charged in November.
Crown Prosecutor Lyn Daley said Morrell took over control of the boat while Stanton went to the bathroom.
Fashion expert William Banks-Blaney, was reportedly also on board at the time.
Banks-Blaney was not involved in the events leading up the accident.
The collision took place in the dark, a court hearing heard (Virgin Islands News Online)In the collision, Stanton is reported to have become briefly trapped.
It is claimed that Stanton did not realise anyone else had been thrown overboard after he rescued his children from the water. He then took control of the motor cruiser and took his injured wife to hospital on Tortola island.
A court heard the collision took place in the dark and that emergency services were alerted by phone, adhering to maritime law.
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The court heard Stanton assumed the powerboat did not have anyone on board at the time due to it being abandoned or adrift.
A family source said the death of Frandy Martin Jr. was a 'tragedy' (Virgin Islands News Online)They told the Mail: "What happened that night was a tragedy that ended in the loss of Frandy Martin Jr.
"Graham’s wife also very nearly died, suffering seven broken ribs and a collapsed lung and needed an emergency operation to prevent her from drowning in her own fluid. Everyone on the Blue Bayou has co-operated fully with the police and all Graham can do is trust that justice will prevail."
Stanton moved to the British Virgin Islands in 2019 after setting up a financial technology business.
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