The wife of a British diving instructor who was gunned down on their Bahamas yacht is still fighting for justice a decade later, as the alleged killer’s trial is put on hold once again.
When Gary, 51, and Kat Vanhoeck sold their home in the UK in exchange for their dream life on a 36-foot yacht – called ‘Lucky Break’ – around 15 years ago.
The couple had worked for Stuart Cove’s diving school, which is located on the south west tip of New Providence, where the James Bond films Thunderball and Casino Royale were filmed.
They fully embraced their new lives in the dreamy picturesque coastlines of the Caribbean, taking groups of keen scuba divers down to the watery depths.
But sadly after five wonderful years of pursuing their dream life was torn apart, when two armed robbers boarded their yacht in the middle of the night.
During the incident, her husband, 51, was ordered by the masked men to alight the boat and was shot in the back of the head neighbouring the diving school.
Elsewhere, Mrs Vanhoeck was below deck not able to see or barely breathe as they men had covered her head in silver duct tape.
After some time, Mrs Vanhoeck, now 55, removed layers upon layers of tape, making a bid for freedom, running away from the boat to a friend’s house down the road.
Only when they returned with police did they tell her what happened.
Now in a shocking interview, she had recounted the ordeal over a decade later as she continues to fight for justice for her late husband.
Mr Vanhoeck, who spent 10 years working for the RAF after leaving home at the age of 16, had recently celebrated his third wedding anniversary with his wife before his death
Gary Vanhoeck (pictured) was ambushed and shot by two men as he and his wife Kathryn during the night on their yacht in the Caribbean island
Now Mrs Vanhoeck recounted the ordeal over a decade later as she continues to fight for justice for her late husband
Reliving the tragic night, she told The Sun: ‘As I walked in, I could see Gary. I started to run over to him but they pulled me back and said, “don’t let her go near him, they’re working on him”. ‘
Describing the moment moment she life-changing moment she was told her husband had been gunned down, Mrs Vanhoeck breaks down in tears and begins to have a physical reaction when recounting the traumatic memory, according to The Sun.
Even though she believes police officers suspected she was involved in her husband’s death CCTV later backed up her story, having caught the two balaclava-clad men on camera.
During a probe, it was uncovered that the men had also swiped £6,000 worth of jewellery as well as the grieving widow’s iPhone.
Following her husband’s death, police found a bullet casting from the scene which later led to Brian Miller Jr being charged with his murder as well as armed robbery, burglary and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
But over a decade later, Mr Miller Jr remains on bail as the trial is delayed time and time again due to admin errors, with the proceedings being postponed again for the 11th time earlier this week.
And while Mr Miller Jr remains on bail, back on British soil in Warminster, Mrs Vanhoeck is serving a life sentence without her beloved husband Gary.
Recalling their Bahamas life filled with ‘blue seas’ and ‘white sands’ with The Sun, the 55-year-old remembered how the pair used to enjoy a beer near a tree together.
While his alleged killer Mr Miller Jr remains on bail, back on British soil in Warminster, Mrs Vanhoeck (pictured with Gary Vanhoeck) is serving a life sentence without her beloved husband Gary
Recalling their Bahamas life filled with ‘blue seas’ and ‘white sands’ with The Sun, the 55-year-old remembered how the pair used to enjoy a beer near a tree together
Now she lives in continued limbo as the trial for her husband’s murder is postponed for the eleventh time (Pictured: Mr Vanhoeck’s boat, the Lucky Break, in Nassau)
The idea of the sailing the world had been an idea’s of Gary’s, after spotting a job advert in the Caribbean.
After some time in the British Virgin Islands they set up a live in the Bahamas later in 2010, anchoring their yacht in the New Providence area.
However now what was once everything the pair had ‘ever dreamed of’ living on the sunny paradise has turned now turned into a ‘nightmare’.
‘I have the memories, but life, you can’t bring back life, and that’s the biggest thing they took from me,’ she told The Sun.
Adding how she never believed she would still be waiting for justice 10 years later, she added: ‘You’re playing with someone’s life. Every time we get a court date, I have to relive it to prepare myself.’
Adamant on getting justice for her late husband, Mrs Vanhoeck said she could not move on until those responsible were held to account.
