Emiliano Sala plane crash: British man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter

Dorset Police have confirmed that detectives investigating the death of Emiliano Sala arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act on Wednesday.

An unnamed 64-year-old man from the North Yorkshire area was taken into custody but later released and remains under investigation for potentially having a role in the untimely passing of the Argentine striker and pilot David Ibbotson in January.

Sala, who had secured a move from Ligue 1 side Nantes to Cardiff City, was travelling from France to Wales on Monday, January 21 when the Piper Malibu aircraft carrying both the player and pilot went down over the English channel.

A concerted effort from several organisations saw Sala's body recovered and identified in February, and investigations into finding out exactly why the plane crashed have been ongoing since.

Speaking on behalf of Dorset Police's major crime investigation team, Detective Inspector Simon Huxter said: “We have carried out a wide-ranging investigation into the circumstances of the death of Mr Sala and continue to work with partner agencies including the Civil Aviation Authority.

“As part of this investigation we have to consider whether there is any evidence of any suspected criminality and as a result of our enquiries we have today arrested a 64-year-old man from the North Yorkshire area on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act.

"He is assisting with our enquiries and has been released from custody under investigation.

"This matter therefore is still subject to a live investigation and I would ask the media and members of the public to refrain from speculation, as this could cause additional distress to the families involved as well as potentially hinder the investigation.

"As is standard practice, we will not be releasing any further information as to the identity of the individual who has been arrested unless that person is charged to appear in court and again would discourage any speculation in relation to this.”

The individual is not the first to have been detained in relation to events around Sala's death, with Sherry Bray, 48, and Christopher Ashford, 62, both having been taken into custody in April due to their part in leaking mortuary photos of the sadly departed Argentine.

Both will appear in court on July 10, with Ms Bray accused of three counts of computer misuse, perverting the course of justice and sending an indecent/offensive message, and Mr Ashford accused of six counts of computer misuse.