A BOAT captain who allegedly drove his vessel into the body of his 67-year-old father-in-law, causing the man to fall into the Canal Back, Port Kaituma River and drown, was on Thursday charged with murder.

George Vansluytman, 36, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead to the indictable offence.
The charge read that on July 28, 2018 at Canal Back in the North West District he murdered Dennis Welcome.

Police Prosecutor Inspector Gordon Mansfield disclosed to the court that about 03:00hrs on the day in question Vansluytman arrived home where he lives with his wife.

Mansfield noted that the defendant was under the influence of alcohol and threatened his wife that he was going to kill her then placed a spoon to her neck.

The woman raised an alarm and her father, who lived nearby came to her rescue. Welcome took her daughter to his home and about 07:00hrs the father was in his boat when it is alleged that Vansluytman purposely crashed his vessel into him.

The prosecution noted that due to the crash, Welcome fell overboard and drowned. His body, which bore injuries to the head was later recovered.