"Sham report" damaged JLA's reputation, says former Chair

Thursday 09 May 2024

The former head of the Jersey Lifeboat Association has claimed that a "sham report" into a collision involving its vessel resulted in people withholding donations from the charity.

Ben Shenton was speaking at a complaints panel meeting held at the States Chambers yesterday.

Mr Shenton, who is former Honorary Chairman of the JLA, explained that their vessel had been on the way to help a stricken yacht on a night in November 2021 when it struck rocks.

No one was injured in the collision but the Sir Max Aitken III lifeboat was badly damaged.

The incident was reported afterwards, and the Coastguard – acting under Ports of Jersey as the “maritime regulator” – decided to suspend the JLA's vessel.

Mr Shenton said the suspension was “not proportionate”.

Pictured: Ben Shenton is the former Honorary Chairman of the Jersey Lifeboat Association.

He told the panel that the Coastguard had no authority to suspend a vessel without the approval of a Government minister, which they had not obtained.

The former Honorary Chairman also claimed that the report published afterwards contained omissions and inaccuracies, saying: “A sham report was put out in order to character-assassinate a charitable organisation dedicated to saving lives at sea.

“The report was about the Coastguard, was commissioned by the Coastguard and was published by the Coastguard.

"We’ve got a situation here where they were marking their own homework.”

As an example, Mr Shenton pointed out that there had been no suggestion that alcohol had played a part in the accident and no crew members had been asked to give a breath sample.

But he said: “Ports of Jersey were broadcasting that our cox refused to be breathalysed. They didn’t even possess a breathalyser.”

Mr Shenton also said the report had done damage to the charity’s reputation.

“People were withholding donations while we were suspended," he claimed.

Pictured: “A sham report was put out in order to character-assassinate a charitable organisation dedicated to saving lives at sea."

The former Honorary Chairman added: “It’s been over two years since the complaint was made. It’s taken an awful lot of pushing to get here.”

Law officers are now drafting new rules about the Coastguard’s ability to investigate and publish reports, and the power to breathalyse those in control of vessels involved in serious accidents.

Mr Shenton said: “I am pleased that action is being taken to close some serious deficiencies in legislation.”

Darren Scott, Chief of Staff of Ports of Jersey, also addressed the panel, and said relations between the authority and the charity were now cordial.

He said: “The operational relationship is better by a country mile than it’s ever been. The willingness to work in partnership is manifestly different.”

The panel will publish a report into the complaint in the near future.