A university student who stole his family's £10,000 yacht has been jailed for nine months after being reported to police by his mother.
Oliver Sloley, 22, took the 30ft vessel before getting into difficulty off the coast of Cornwall.
He issued a mayday call but was so inexperienced he could not give his correct bearings and was only located by lifeboat crews after firing a flare.
Sloley, who was in his second year studying geology at Plymouth University at the time of the theft, was towed to shore where he faced the wrath of his furious mother, who promptly reported him for theft.
He has now been jailed for nine months at Truro Crown Court after admitting taking the yacht without consent and a string of other charges.
Speaking yesterday his mother Annabel Sloley, 47, of Penzance, Cornwall, revealed she felt duty-bound to report her son. She said: "It's not what you want as a parent but have to do what you feel is right. Every parent makes their own decision in how they are going to raise their child but I believed that what they did was wrong, and they had to know that.
"It's not even the fact it was my boat, it was the fact the lifeboat crew got involved and spent three hours searching for them when they should be saving people's lives who have got in difficulty through no fault of their own."
The student's mother was away for the weekend when he took the boat from its moorings at Restronguet, near Falmouth, last August despite the engine being faulty.
But Sloley and a friend – neither of whom had any navigational experience and no lifejackets – managed to sail several miles along the coast and navigate the treacherous Lizard peninsula.
They got into a difficulty a few hours later and called for help but were unable to read their GPS and give a correct position.
Lifeboat crews only located them 30 minutes later when they fired a flare and the yacht was towed back into Newlyn harbour.
The boat, which had been in the family for seven years, was in such a state of disrepair that they have since sold it.
The mother added: "The Lizard is not a place to play. Had someone fallen in it could have been very different.
"Taking him to court was very difficult. It was horrible, but I am of the mind that once my mind is made up then that's it.
"I told him 'sorry mate, but I'm going to have to report this'. He accepted it, what else could he do?"
When the boat was brought ashore two stolen outboards and two fuel tanks were found on board, for which he pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving stolen goods.
He also admitted stealing two cheques from his mother and making off without payment for food and drink from four pubs in West Cornwall.
Joss Ticehurst, defending, said: "He has wasted his future to a very great extent."
Sentencing him, Judge Christopher Elwen said: "For some reason best known to yourself you decided to wreck your life, and possibly your prospects for the future."
He imposed jail sentences totalling nine months.article copyright THE CORNISHMAN