Boat tragedy fisherman jailed for harassing wife (From Western Telegraph)

Boat tragedy fisherman jailed for harassing wife

3:00pm Saturday 5th May 2012 in News

A Fisherman involved in a tragedy during an illfated maiden voyage six years ago has been jailed for harassing his wife.

In 2006 Douglas Hook, 44, was aboard the 12-tonne Pamela S with his brotherin- law John Askey when the boat sank off Tenby.

Hook later told how Mr Askey saved him from drowning before losing his own life in the freezing water.

Hook managed to swim four miles to shore at Pendine to safety. The tragedy and Hook’s amazing survival story made headlines.

Hook was married to Mr Askey’s sister Louise and on Thursday he appeared at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching an order banning him from harassing her.

Creighton Harvey, prosecuting, said the couple lived together at Bethesda, Narberth, until Hook moved out in July, 2011.

By October he had been convicted once for assaulting her and twice for battering her.

That month magistrates had issued an order preventing Hook from harassing his wife.

But between November 27th and December 12th she received 370 telephone calls or text messages from Hook and he was arrested.

Haverfordwest magistrates granted him bail but the campaign continued and he telephoned her seven times within two days.

Hook was again arrested but this time was remanded into custody.

However, said Mr Harvey, Hook continued to write to Mrs Hook even from jail.

His barrister, Dyfed Thomas, told the court about Hook’s involvement in the 2006 tragedy.

He said some of the calls to Mrs Hook had been about their children. He now accepted the relationship was over and that divorce proceedings were underway.

Hook, he added, now operated a fishing vessel out of Pembroke Dock and employed three people. But the boat had not sailed since he had been remanded to prison.

Judge Keith Thomas said Hook, now of Pater Court, Pembroke Dock, had not only breached the restraining order but had continued to breach it after he had been arrested, and even after he had been put into prison.

He jailed Hook for 36 weeks which, he said, should mean his early release because of the time he had already spent in custody.