DUI Offender Claims to be Jack Sparrow Before Commandeering Ferry

Alison Whelan is a 51-year-old British woman, but when she was intoxicated she was convinced that she was the iconic pirate from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. Whelan was on a two-day bender near a harbor in Devon, England when she called the emergency services because she believed that she was having a seizure. Paramedics arrived to the scene to find that Whelan and her friend had found a 45-foot passenger ferry and were trying to steal the vessel. Two technicians tried to board the ferry, but Whelan became violent. She claimed that she was a pirate as she untied the large ferry, and then shouted back “I’m Captain Jack Sparrow!” as she drifted away from the dock.

BBC reports that Whelan was not only drunk, but had been eating nightshade, a poisonous and hallucinogenic plant. The ferry eventually crashed into other boats in the crowded harbor and ultimately caused thousands of British pounds worth of damage. According to the Huffington Post, the authorities eventually caught up to “Captain Jack” and her partner and brought the ferry back to the dock. Whelan pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle theft and was sentenced to 122 days in prison as a result. Her partner in crime was also fined 100 pounds after he assaulted an ambulance technician at the scene of the arrest.

If you have been charged with a crime like this one, but were mentally incompetent due to a drug or alcohol at the time of the crime, you will want a criminal defense attorney there to advocate for you in court. When intoxicated, people can make choices without thinking of the consequences. You will want a lawyer there who can show that you are now repentant of your crime and never intended to cause damage or steal a vessel if this situation pertains to you. Contact a nearby DUI lawyer for aid in your case!