16 Feb 2018

Peter Blake shooting assailant caught after 16 years

4:03 pm on 16 February 2018

One of the men involved in the fatal shooting of Sir Peter Blake has been recaptured after nearly 16 years on the run.

Sir Peter Blake

Sir Peter Blake Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Sir Peter, a world-class yachtsman and environmentalist, was killed by pirates in Brazil in 2001 while working on a conservation project on the Amazon.

Jose Irandir Cardoso was sentenced to 32 years in prison for armed robbery leading to death but he escaped custody shortly after.

RNZ's correspondent in Brazil, Alex Tortoriello, covered the case in 2001.

He said it was only by luck that Cardoso was caught.

Brazilian media report he was picked up by military police after a routine stop on the large island of Marajo, between the Amazon River and the Atlantic Ocean, Mr Tortoriello said.

"He was using his brother's ID when he was caught but then police suspected something wrong and took him to the police station.

"He had his identity checked and they realised ... it was him."

On the night he was shot, Sir Peter and his team had returned to their boat, the Seamaster, which was anchored off Macapa.

A group of pirates boarded the boat and Sir Peter was shot twice in the back while trying to fend them off.

Sir Peter's friend, Mark Orams, was on board that night.

He said he thought of Sir Peter most days and was feeling mixed emotions today.

"In some ways it reminds you of the loss of Peter and there's a sense of sadness, but for the great majority of the time my thoughts of Peter are really, really positive and full of gratitude for having known him and been inspired by him," he said.

He had not been aware that Cardoso had been on the run.

Mr Orams did not hold any resentment or bitterness towards Sir Peter's killers but was glad justice was being done, he said.

"They just saw this big boat at anchor and thought they'd go and see what they could get for their own benefit and as a consequence we lost this wonderful New Zealander and this man who was doing something so important for the future of our planet," he said.

At the time he remembered he feeling an overwhelming sense of loss for Sir Peter's family and for the people he was working so closely with, he said.