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Alcohol-fuelled assault on Clipper leads to Victoria woman’s arrest

An alcohol-fuelled assault on the Victoria Clipper ferry has led to the arrest of a Victoria woman, who is to appear in a Seattle court today.
Clipper assault.jpg
Donellda Arksey, 60, appears in a Seattle court.

An alcohol-fuelled assault on the Victoria Clipper ferry has led to the arrest of a Victoria woman, who is to appear in a Seattle court today.

“She had consumed a significant amount of alcohol and then she assaulted her husband of 10 years in front of witnesses,” said King County deputy prosecutor Caitlin Cushing, according to a KIRO TV News report.

“And so we do feel that it’s a pretty significant assault to punch someone on the middle of a crowded ferry.”

The woman and her husband were travelling from Victoria to Seattle on a Clipper vacation package on Saturday and planned to catch a Seahawks football game Sunday.

Victoria Clipper president Darrell Bryan told the Times Colonist that high winds Saturday set the ferry on a safer, longer weather route. The planned three-hour trip came closer to five hours.

Bryan said the woman became agitated during the trip.

“She got mad at her husband and started to beat on him. When other passengers said something to her she hit them,” he said.

Her husband ran and hid in the washroom. No one was seriously hurt.

She appeared drunk but Bryan said she ordered only two drinks on the sailing.

“Apparently, she grabbed another passenger’s bottle of wine and chugged it,” he said.

She had ordered alcohol from the duty-free store, which is delivered on arrival, but her husband cancelled it.

Bryan said staff had to monitor the woman for the rest of the trip and called Seattle police to meet them in port.

“We haven’t seen anything like this in 28 years,” Bryan said.

“She will never be allowed on the Clipper again, maybe not even the U.S.,” he said.

Her husband, however, travelled back to Victoria on the Clipper Tuesday and was very apologetic. “As upset as I am about this, you can’t help but feel a bit sorry for them.”

Donellda Arksey, 60, appeared in a King County court Monday. She posted $2,500 bond and was released with an order to appear in court today.

spetrescu@timescolonist.com