Boater found dead and boat vandalised

Published: Friday, 03 July 2020

THE liveaboard at Swarkestone Lock who was jailed for common assault has been discovered dead in his boat.

After his body was removed his boat was vandalised and a solar panel, outboard and gas bottles were stolen, then on Wednesday night the boat was set on fire at its mooring below Swarkestone Lock.

Abusive and threatening

It was back in early April that the boater Christopher McKendrick coughed at police stating he was a coronavirus 'super spreader' after complaints of him being abusive and threatening.

He was subsequently arrested after the incident on Thursday 2nd April and given a 16 weeks prison sentence admitting common assault, possession of an offensive weapon, assaulting an emergency worker and using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.  He was also ordered to pay a £122 victim surcharge.

Released early

He was released early but last Saturday was discovered dead in his boat at the lock on the Trent & Mersey Canal.  It was after this that his boat was vandalised and then set on fire.

Canal & River Trust have now moved the boat on to the lock landing, where it has since sunk causing a hazard to boaters using the lock.