British marina founder Robert Hathaway, 66, found dead in St Lucia murder inquiry
Police in St Lucia are investigating the murder of Robert Hathaway, 66, a British man found dead at his home in Gros Islet on Sunday.
Murder inquiry opened after British marina founder found dead in Gros Islet
St Lucia police have launched a murder investigation after Robert Hathaway, 66, a British national and prominent figure in the island's marine tourism industry, was found dead at his home in Grand Riviere, Gros Islet on Sunday, theguardian.com reports.
A neighbour discovered the body. A police spokesman confirmed officers were treating the death as a homicide, pending the results of a postmortem examination. "The body of a British national was found where he lived in Grand Riviere, Gros Islet. We are treating his death as a homicide," the spokesman told the Press Association.
Officers said they would be contacting Hathaway's family in the United Kingdom, adding that it remained unclear whether he had any next of kin on the island.
Keats Compton, president of the Marine Industries Association of St Lucia, said he was horrified by the incident. "Apart from anything else, Bob was a pal of mine. He was on the executive committee of the Association and he was an integral part of it," Compton said. He added that the close-knit nature of the yachting community meant the incident could cause significant reputational damage to the industry if not reported properly. Compton said he had known Hathaway for more than a decade and would be following the investigation closely. On the question of motive, he said: "It was a big shock to me but it's a bit early to make any speculation."
Hathaway was a former chairman of the St Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association and the founder of the Marigot marina. He moved to the Caribbean in 2001 after spending more than ten years designing yachts, following an earlier career in local government at Haringey Council in London. He studied engineering at the University of Cambridge and was originally from the village of Codford St Peter in Wiltshire.
In 2014, Hathaway had spoken publicly about the murder of Roger Pratt, a sailor killed aboard his yacht in St Lucian waters. "He was on the trip of a lifetime and I knew exactly how he felt because I had done the same thing," Hathaway said at the time.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed British consular staff were supporting Hathaway's family and were in contact with St Lucian police. "Our staff are supporting the family of a British man following his death in St Lucia, and are in contact with the St Lucian police," she said.
Foreign Office travel guidance for St Lucia notes that while most visits to the island are trouble-free, "there have been incidents of crime including murder, armed robbery and sexual assault."
Source: Google News LC — Crime