Burglar’s life torn apart by disaster revelation

It was only after fugitive Derek Wilson died, when the boat sank 25 years ago, that his family discovered that he had four “wives” and at least 10 children scattered around the world.

One of those children, 39-year-old Stephen Wilson, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court this week where he was jailed for a house burglary.

His barrister John Hillis said Wilson’s life had been wrecked at the age of 15 when his father died in the disaster on March 6, 1987.

Derek Wilson, 61, was among the 193 passengers and crew who drowned when the British ferry capsized as it left Zeebrugge harbour in Belgium.

At the time, his teenage son Stephen was living in Sheffield.

And, since the tragedy, Wilson has had a “difficult” time, the court heard, discovering he had both a family in Yorkshire and in Holland.

He had turned to crime and in recent years he has lost two of his brothers and his mother to cancer, Mr Hillis said.

Wilson has previous convictions for burglaries and in February 2006 he was given a 27-month prison sentence for three break-ins.

In February this year he was then given a four-month jail term, suspended for a year, for another house burglary.

Wilson, of Woodland Drive in North Anston, near Rotherham, admitted burgling a house at Main Street in North Anston in April this year.

Owner Nicola Hood went out at 10.45am that morning and, when she returned at 6.20pm that day, noticed a window was ajar.

Various items had been stolen from her house including jewellery, cash and electrical items, said Michael Tooley, prosecuting at Sheffield Crown Court.

Wilson was seen in the street and was found with car keys which had been stolen from the premises.

His arrest put him in breach of both the suspended jail term and a community order.

Sentencing him, judge Roger Keen told Wilson: “Your situation is a sad one but that is no excuse for your offending, it is merely an explanation.”

Wilson was jailed for a total of three-and-a-half years.

After the Herald of Free Enterprise sinking in 1987, Mr Wilson senior’s death remained unknown to the family for six weeks as he travelled on a false passport and often spent months away from home.

The roll-on, roll-off (or “ro ro”) Townsend Thoresen ferry Herald of Free Enterprise had turned on its side in Zeebrugge harbour after leaving port bound for Dover with its bow doors open.

This allowed water to enter and flood the car deck.

Of the 80-strong crew, 42 members of staff survived and helped in the rescue operation, which saw 313 passengers being saved from the water.

After the disaster it was found that the crew member responsible for shutting the doors was asleep.

Townsend Thoresen, which later became P&O European Ferries, was severely criticised in a public inquiry report which was published later in 1987.

Lord Justice Sheen, who conducted the inquiry, said that Townsend Thoresen had been “infected with the disease of sloppiness”.

P&O European Ferries was charged with corporate manslaughter and seven employees were charged with manslaughter – but there were no convictions.

International ferry safety regulations were tightened after the disaster, but there had to be further changes when the ro-ro ferry Estonia capsized in the north Baltic Sea in September 1994.

That disaster led to more than 900 people losing their lives.