British confess – Royal Navy submarine did endanger trawler and crew off Irish coast

THE SKIPPER of a trawler damaged by a British Royal Navy nuclear submarine is demanding an apology and compensation after the British Ministry of Defence finally admitted this week that one of its submarines did snag the 60-foot Karen in April of this year, almost dragging it underwater with four people on board.

Paul Murphy and his crew of three would have been possibly drowned had they not managed to hack their fishing gear free using axes.

Murphy is also angry that the British lied about the incident when they initially said there was no Royal Navy submarine activity in the area at the time that the trawler was damaged as it fished in waters off the County Down coast.

Armed Forces Minister Penny Mordaunt even told the Westminster parliament that a British military vessel was not responsible.

Speaking to An Phoblacht, Sinn Féin South Down MLA Chris Hazzard criticised the British over their initial denials and also over the fact that the commander of the warship ignored “protocols that are in place where a submarine, if it snags fishing nets, must surface to protect the lives of the fishermen”.

Chris Hazzard said:

“Our fishermen deserve to be able to work in an environment where they don’t have to worry about submarines sinking their boats as fishing is already a dangerous occupation.”