The father of Matthew Reynolds, [the man originally thought to have stolen the runabout and] the man originally thought to have been at the helm of the runabout at the time of last Thursday's harbour tragedy, says his son knows who was steering the vessel but will not reveal their identity because of "legal implications".
But one of the men who saw the boat leaving Darling Street Wharf has confirmed that Matthew Reynolds, 31, piloted the vessel away from the pier.
Charlie Reynolds said this morning that his son was still to give his full version of the deadly night's events to police.
Mr Reynolds has told media that his son was not at the helm at the time it came into contact with a fishing boat, resulting in the death of six people.
[But what if anything does that have to do with it even if it were true? Regardless of who had control of the runabout at the time of the collision the boat was stolen and therefore by implication the person who stole the boat is also responsible for the accident and subsequent damage to persons and property.]
In a conversation with Mr Reynold's solicitor Greg Walsh this morning it was [allegedly] revealed the small runabout had both its port and starboard lights on as well as its mast light when the 14-metre fishing boat, Jordon's, crashed into it on Thursday morning.
"All the lights were on and in good working order," Mr Walsh said.
[Even though Mr Walsh wasn't there?]
He also said that Mr Reynolds had told him he had not been driving the boat at the time of the crash.
When asked if his son did know who was steering, Mr Reynolds said: "I guess he knows but he hasn't said at this stage. There are legal implications. That will all come out when Matt talks [to police]."
The company that owns the runabout today denied a statement by Mr Reynolds's lawyer that the 31-year-old had permission to use the boat.
"Sydney Ship Repair and Engineering Pty Ltd wishes to confirm its earlier statement that the boat involved in last week's accident was being used without authorisation or its knowledge,'' the statement read.
Andre Ogle, from Russell Lea in Sydney's inner west, was fishing at Darling Street Wharf when he saw the runabout arrive between 1am and 1.30am.
He last week described the people on the boat as "a whole bunch of young people in party mode" and said a man who skippered the vessel away from the wharf said his name was "Matt".
Mr Ogle this morning confirmed that Matt was at the helm when the runabout left the wharf.
"Yes he definitely was," Mr Ogle said. "But the police have asked me not to make any more statements to the media."
[Excuse them?]
Another of the survivors of the deadly night, 21-year-old Edmund Renew of Balmain was also asked this morning who was at the helm but said: "Sorry I don't want to talk about it."
The last thing Mr Reynolds remembers before being knocked out was talking to his girlfriend, mother-of-two Ashlie Ayers, [who is stone cold and dead with two surviving children without their mother] his lawyer says.
Quote: Clearly one cannot help reading the garbage coming from the mainscream media trying to cover-up for these people, why is that? Because they're the publicans responsibility or because Charlie Reynolds has influence? Or both? If these people were from Macquarie Fields they'd be in jail and refused bail and there is nothing more certain than that.
Updated May 8 6:15am (AEST)
THE lawyer for Matthew Reynolds, the man who skippered the runabout involved in an accident that claimed six lives in Sydney Harbour last week, maintains that the 31-year-old was in control of the boat even if he was not steering at the time.
"I'm not suggesting he wasn't in command of the vessel [but] he wasn't driving at the time of the collision," Greg Walsh said.
Updated May 8 8:15am (AEST)
Cocktail barman Percy Small has been named as the man at the wheel of the runabout when it crashed into a larger fishing boat, killing six people. It is believed those on board have also claimed that a third person may have been at the wheel during some point in the journey, News Limited [Limited News] reports. [???] [An attempt now to place someone that was allegedly not drunk at the helm???] Quote: "Witnesses have told police that after Mr Reynolds, a qualified skipper, negotiated the boat from Balmain Wharf he handed the controls over to Mr Small. Mr Small, who holds a 'boating licence' and 'did not appear affected by alcohol', safely took the boat across the harbour to Watsons Bay." Unquote. [NSW Police and Limited News Lies? Seems like they got the all clear??? Now all they have to do is inform the boat owners that granting permission to the crew for the journey won't be a liability???]
Related:
Homicide squad called in over harbour crash
THE homicide squad stamped its authority on the investigation into the harbour tragedy yesterday, with an inspection of the boats that smashed into each other in the cold and dark on Thursday morning.
Police name 6th harbour crash victim
Thirty-two-year-old Ashlei Ayres, a single mother of two, has now been named as one of the five people who died at the scene of the crash.
Balmain hotels fill as young mourn pub mates
Many of those involved in the accident were from Balmain. Friends gathered, embraced and cried openly on Darling Street, and soon after were intoxicated with alcohol as well as grief. Balmain bar staff described the incident as a pub staff night gone wrong.
Calls for binge warnings on alcohol packaging
The Public Health Association (PHA) says warnings about the dangers of binge drinking should be pasted on all forms of packaged alcoholic drinks.
Support for booze public education
A SURVEY of 1000 Australians found more than three-quarters of those questioned about attitudes to drinking said there was not enough public education about the dangers of alcohol, despite the Rudd Government's promise of a multimillion-dollar binge-drinking strategy.
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