A 21-year-old man was charged yesterday by police in Antigua with the murder of Drew Gollan, the 38-year Australian skipper of the superyacht, Perseus, who suffered three fatal gunshots to the chest outside the Gallery Bar last week.

Police issued a statement saying: ‘Sylvester Lindsey, was arrested and charged for the murder in English Harbour on the 22nd January, 2009.’ Lindsey will be brought before the court on Monday. A .32 calibre pistol has been seized which we believe was involved in the offence. Three other people were detained in relation to the murder. Investigation is continuing and we will further advise if more charges are to be laid.’

Crime has been rising on the Caribbean island, where a honeymooning British couple, Benjamin and Catherine Mullany, died after being shot in an apparent robbery in July last year.

Friends have left tributes on Mr Gollan’s Facebook page. “You just couldn’t help liking him, he was just always so bloody friendly? sometimes you hear the eulogy of someone written in such glowing terms that you think cynically there is no way this person can be as amazing as described – but Drew is one of those.”