Family and friends of the seven crew who died on board the Solway Harvester have today heard from the vessel's owner for the first time since the tragedy.
Richard Gidney was ordered to give evidence at Kirkcudbright Sheriff Court after he refused to attend the re-opened inquest on the Isle of Man.
The boat sank eleven miles off the Island in January 2000 and Mr Gidney subsequently stood trial but was acquitted on seven counts of manslaughter.
The inquest heard today the fishing boat flooded twice in the three years before it went down and Mr Gidney admitted being party to a plan to have a boat called the Solway Ranger travel to the area where the Harvester went down, just days after it sank.
(Picture: The Solway Harvester in Douglas harbour earlier this year).
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