A British sailor accused of pushing his girlfriend off his yacht during a 'divine mission to herald the beginning of a new age for humanity' has been cleared of trying to kill her.
asserted
sailor → accuse → her
Jeremy Orritt, 61, spent 16 months in custody after being accused of throwing Larissa Lemare into the River Tagus off Oeiras, west of Lisbon, with prosecutors alleging he knew she could not swim.
uncertain
she → spend → Lisbon
Weeks before his arrest, the yachtsman, who calls himself Captain Jez, had written about plans to sail to the Mediterranean with Ms Lemare aboard his 34ft yacht, SV Mariner.
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who → call → yacht
He said they were seeking vegan crew members to join a voyage visiting sacred sites around the world and herald an era of love, peace and understanding.
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members → say → love
Mr Orritt was arrested in May last year after Ms Lemare ended up in the water.
uncertain
Lemare → arrest → water
Reports at the time said she was rescued by a passing boat and taken to hospital.
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she → say → hospital
Portuguese prosecutors alleged he had assaulted her before pushing her overboard and sailing away.
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he → allege → her
But the Cascais judicial court did not accept their version of events.
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court → accept → events
Mr Orritt's lawyer, Teresa Fialho de Sousa, announced on Wednesday that he had been acquitted due to 'a lack of evidence', The Times reported.
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Times → announce → evidence
Mr Orritt, originally from Bath, Somerset, had been charged with attempted aggravated homicide and domestic violence.
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Orritt → charge → homicide
Jeremy Orritt, 61, spent 16 months in custody after being accused of throwing Larissa Lemare into the River Tagus off Oeiras, west of Lisbon, despite knowing she could not swim
Mr Orritt was arrested in May last year after Ms Lemare (pictured) ended up in the water
The couple were in San Vicente de la Barquera, northern Spain, and were seeking vegan crew members to join their voyage.
uncertain
couple → spend → voyage
'We are looking for conscious, vegan crew to join us on our journey,' wrote Mr Orritt.
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Orritt → look → journey
'We are on a divine mission to herald the beginning of a new age for humanity.'
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We → herald → humanity
Mr Orritt compared the yacht's interior to a gypsy caravan, saying it remained functional despite some problems caused by its age.
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it → compare → age
He said they had sailed down the Brittany coast and crossed the Bay of Biscay, and were waiting for suitable weather to continue along the Atlantic coast to Portugal.
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they → say → Portugal
Ms Lemare, from Totnes, Devon, wrote about the strain of the voyage in a social media message to a friend.
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Lemare → write → friend
She said she was taking a break following three difficult months at sea, but described her commitment to staying by Mr Orritt's side.
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she → say → side
'I made a pledge to Jez that he'd never have to brave the storms alone, to stick with him come what may, not abandoning each other when the path grows uncertain or yield to passing tempests,' she wrote.
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she → make → tempests
She said the experience had been intensely tough but that they had overcome difficulties together, adding that their struggles had strengthened their bond.
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struggles → say → bond
'I recognise it's in those moments of struggle and vulnerability that love reveals its deepest strength and bonds us in ways that smooth sailing never could', Ms Lemare wrote.
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Lemare → recognise → ways
'It's about weathering the storms, not abandoning ship at the first sign of trouble.'
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It → weather → trouble
Portugal's Public Prosecutor's Office said after Mr Orritt's arrest that the pair had been in a relationship for about a year and began living together when their sailing trip started in December 2024.
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trip → say → December
Prosecutors alleged there had been episodes of verbal and physical violence.
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Prosecutors → allege → violence
They claimed that on May 30, 2025, Mr Orritt assaulted Ms Lemare aboard the yacht off Oeiras before pushing her into the water.
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Orritt → claim → water
They further alleged he started the boat and left despite knowing she could not swim.
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she → allege → boat
The court did not accept that account.
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court → accept → account
While Mr Orritt remained in custody, Ms Lemare is understood to have continued travelling abroad, including crewing a yacht in the Caribbean.
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Lemare → remain → Caribbean
The Aporia
