Linda claimed that she had first met the defendant, Marley, in February 1973. They became friends and he told her the name of the ship he worked on. They met again at the Monte Carlo club, once she had moved to her uncle’s house, and he told her about a party that was going to take place on the Rotherwick Castle. It was at that party that she saw Michelle again and they soon rekindled their friendship. Over the next couple of days, Linda, Michelle and others often visited the nearby Crazy Horse public house and it was there, during one of their visits, that they decided to go back to the ship and stow away in order to get to England. They both then went home and packed suitcases before returning to the ship. They stayed in an empty cabin until the ship actually sailed and after this, Michelle initially stayed with one of the crew named Billy Lowes, in his cabin, whilst Linda slept in Marley’s cabin, on his couch.

On the third night out, which would be 6 September, Linda and Michelle both stayed in Marley’s cabin. Linda slept on the floor whilst Michelle shared the bunk with Marley. Earlier the two girls had argued over boyfriends but they had now made friends again and for the next week or so, the only time either of them left Marley’s cabin was when one of them needed to use the toilet.

On about the third or fourth day out from Capetown, Michelle had slashed one of her wrists because she liked Marley but knew they would have to part once the ship reached England. Michelle had used a razor blade to inflict the wound but it was not deep. Linda wrapped a pillowcase around the wound and it stopped bleeding after about twenty minutes. This might well have shown that Michelle was rather highly-strung and subject to mood swings which in turn might explain her later behaviour.

On 15 September, Linda and Michelle were drinking rather heavily and at one stage, Michelle was singing, dancing, and yelling. When Marley tried to restrain her, she kicked out and this caused her to break the model ship, which Marley had been working on. It was her behaviour and the breaking of the model, which caused Michelle and Marley to argue and as words were exchanged, Michelle lay on the bunk. Marley went over to Michelle, pushed her face into the pillow and threatened to kill her if she didn’t shut up. Michelle would not be silenced and began to struggle all the more. Then Linda saw him draw something black around Michelle’s neck. Linda did not intervene, not only because she was probably too drunk to do so, but also because she thought Marley might attack her too.

After Michelle had fallen still, Marley stuffed her body underneath his bunk and then left the room. He returned some time later and it was clear that Michelle was now dead. Marley asked Linda to help him get rid of the body but she refused. He asked her for a second time and Linda refused again. Marley then left the cabin, carrying Michelle’s body with him. He was gone fifteen minutes or so and then returned, alone, saying that he had dumped her over the side of the ship and into the sea.

At 4.00pm on Friday, 21 September, the ship docked at Southampton. Anthony Turner’s brother-in-law, William Robert Beedon, had picked up Anthony, Linda and Marley in his car and took them to Basingstoke railway station where Anthony gave her £2 and said he would be back soon. Anthony then drove off with William Beedon whilst Marley accompanied Linda onto the platform. In due course, Marley caught his own train and Linda was left on the station until 11.30pm but Anthony never came back for her. In the meantime, Linda had met a girl named Lynette, who offered to put her up for the night. The next day she decided to travel to Herne Bay which is how she met Mr Gaitens who took her as far as Sittingbourne.

James Gaitens told the court that on 22 September, he had been to Basingstoke with Michael Papp and his wife. These three were all in Mr Gaitens’ mini-traveller when they picked up a young girl hitchhiker. Mr and Mrs Papps were dropped off at Godstone and Gaitens then drove Linda to Sittingbourne where he dropped her at the railway station at around 5.30pm, having first purchased a ticket for her, to Herne Bay. He had given Linda his telephone number and told her to call him if she got lost. Linda did indeed ring and James drove over to pick her up again. He then took her to his home at 30 Bourne Grove, Sittingbourne, where his wife made Linda a meal.

During their initial car journey Linda had mumbled something about being a stowaway on a ship, with her friend, and adding that he friend had gone overboard but Mr Gaitens had not taken any real notice of this. Later that night, however, Linda elaborated on her story and mentioned that her friend had been killed and thrown overboard from the ship she had travelled on. She also gave details of Marley’s address and telephone number. Mrs Gaitens had then telephoned the Herne Bay police to confirm that a family named Marley did indeed live at the address Linda had mentioned. Mr Gaitens then rang the Marleys and said that ‘Fanta’ was at his house and that she had said something about being a stowaway and that her friend had been hurt on the ship. The Marleys then agreed to go over to Sittingbourne to sort the matter out. They had duly arrived and when Stephen Marley was asked what had happened he had admitted what he had done but said that only Linda knew anything about it and she wouldn’t say anything. It was then that his own father said that he would not be able to live with something like this on his conscience, and should tell the truth. It was Mr Marley who then telephoned for the police.

Anthony Turner confirmed his earlier story. He also reported that after Marley had told him that he had killed Michelle, Turner saw the body with some twin core electric wire tied around her neck. Marley asked him not to report the matter and Turner agreed. The next day, Marley told him that he had thrown Michelle’s body overboard.

Keith Martin Jones was another member of the crew on board the ship. He told the court that he had owned an electrical converter, which would power a radio from the ship’s electrical supply. He had lent this to Marley and at the time it had a black, two-core wire identical to the one Anthony Turner said he had seen around Michelle’s throat.

Marley’s own story was then given. At Sittingbourne police station, he had been interviewed by Chief Inspector Berry and admitted that he had been paid off on 21 September but that prior to this he had thrown a girl overboard. During his interview he also admitted that Michelle might well have been alive when he threw her off the ship. Explaining this, Marley said that he had had no intention of killing Michelle and had just wanted to quieten her. After he had attacked her he thought he saw her chest moving up and down, showing that she was still breathing. He stuffed her underneath the bunk so that it wouldn’t be seen by anyone coming into his cabin but later, when he went back to check on her, she didn’t appear to be breathing anymore and her lips were blue. That was when he decided to throw her overboard. Two days after this, he had put all Michelle’s clothes into a suitcase and thrown that overboard as well.

The verdict, when it came, was that Stephen Marley was not guilty of murder but was guilty of manslaughter. Only now could some of the details of Marley’s earlier life be given. He had one sister and one brother, both younger than he was. He had just one previous conviction, as a juvenile, for the theft of lead in August 1970, for which he was fined £15. He had had various jobs since leaving school, including being a storeroom boy at Woolworth’s and a labourer for a container company. He had joined the Merchant Navy in August 1972.

Although he had escaped the mandatory life sentence for murder, largely because the jury felt that there had been no intention to kill, Marley had still taken the life of a young girl. For that offence, Mr Justice Lawson sentenced Stephen Marley to five years in prison.