Two men, a boat, the open sea - and a situation from which there was no turning back for one of them. What began as a cosy journey back from a multihull meeting in Norway ended in tragedy off the Swedish coast. The 65-year-old Andreas F. from Berlin has been on trial for months. The skipper of an F-24 trimaran is accused of killing his long-time friend Thomas B. (71), a lawyer from Schöneberg, in the summer of 2024. Now the testimony of a Swedish rescue pilot has brought new urgency to the case.
Pilot observes suspected offence from the air
The 64-year-old was involved in the rescue operation and described his observations to the Berlin district court on Wednesday. The Berlin Courier quotes the pilot as follows: "From my point of view, it looked like one person was holding the other underwater." According to the pilot, the entire scene looked strange and he did not see any rescue attempts. However, this contradicts the statements made by the defendant Andreas F.. He claims that he tried to help his friend who was in distress.
Charge: murder and grievous bodily harm
The public prosecutor's office takes a different view and accuses the accused of murder and causing grievous bodily harm. The case is described as follows in a statement from the Berlin Regional Court:
The defendant is accused of killing his sailing partner on 1 August in the Kattegat near the Swedish coast. There had previously been an argument in which both had injured each other. Andreas F. then allegedly took a metal bracket from the lifebuoy and hit his friend on the back of the head, causing him to fall overboard. The accused then helped his friend to get back on the boat.
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But the argument started again and Andreas F. began to choke his friend. He then jumped into the water. Eyewitnesses alerted the coastguard and threw him a lifebuoy. Fearing that Thomas B. might report the incident, Andreas F. jumped in after him. When he reached him, he allegedly pushed him under the water and drowned him.
"As if nothing had happened"
The coastguard helicopter pilot claims to have observed the latter. According to the Berliner Kurier, he also reports that Andreas F. let go of his friend when he spotted the lifeguard who had been roped off. As if nothing had happened, he swam back to his boat, the "Jolly Rose", he says. This also contradicts the statement made by the accused in court. He had claimed that "I wanted to save him. But I couldn't get hold of him properly, my strength was failing me."
After the incident, the accused was arrested by the Swedish authorities on suspicion of murder. The public prosecutor's office applied for an arrest warrant on suspicion of murder - among other things due to the risk of absconding and concerns that evidence could be destroyed. In spring 2025, the case was handed over to the Berlin judiciary. F. has now been on trial in Berlin since July.
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Judgement expected at the end of November
While the defence speaks of a tragic accident and a panicked rescue attempt that failed, the prosecution sees the crime as a deliberate act of violence. They argue that it was triggered by an escalating argument and carried out with deadly determination.
Nine further trial days have been scheduled according to the Berlin district court. A verdict is currently expected on 28 November. By then, it should be clear what really happened on board the trimaran "Jolly Rose".
