A law student in the US has pleaded not guilty to negligently operating a boat, the Naut Guilty, following an accident in which its propeller sheared off a swimmer's arm.

Alexander Williams, a 24-year-old student at Boston law school New England Law, took part in a drunken party held off Spectacle Island in Boston harbour. When fellow guest Nicole Bethiaume had jumped into the water to retrieve a seat cushion, he allegedly started the engine of the power boat and "negligently moved it in the direction of the victim". And as she tried to clamber back in, the boat hit her and its propeller cut off her arm above the elbow.

Maybe Naut

In court, Williams' lawyer said he had only started the ignition because he thought 19-year-old Bethiaume was in danger of drowning. Prosecutors deny she was in trouble. They also allege that Williams erased text messages from his mobile phone just before he handed it over to police. According to the police report, Williams' lawyer was heard shouting, “That is the stupidest thing...no, no, no!" when he saw Williams putting it into factory reset mode.

Williams has pleaded not guilty to negligent operation of the Naut Guilty, destroying evidence on his phone and procuring alcohol for teenagers.