Twenty-five years ago, in the waters off Cozumel, Mexico, British singer Kirsty MacColl tragically lost her life when she was struck by a motorboat. The events of that day, December 18, 2000, and the subsequent legal proceedings, have remained a source of intense controversy, fueled by claims of a high-level cover-up to protect a Mexican billionaire. Central to the mystery is the true identity of the man driving the boat, "The Percalito," a 31-ft vessel belonging to the late Mexican billionaire Guillermo Gonzalez Nova.

MacColl, a mother-of-two renowned for her hit song "Fairytale Of New York," was on a much-needed holiday with her boyfriend James Knight and sons Jamie, 15, and Louis, 13. A diving enthusiast, she was exploring the Chankanaab coral reef with her sons and instructor Ivan Diaz within a protected 67,000-acre zone, where speed limits were restricted to four knots and other boats prohibited. After surfacing from a dive, MacColl screamed a warning and managed to push her eldest son, Jamie, to safety just seconds before the boat's propeller struck her. Her body floated face down in the water, which had turned crimson. Louis later recalled swimming in his mother's blood. An autopsy confirmed she died instantly from her horrific injuries.

Authorities initially discovered that Gonzalez Nova, then 67, a billionaire businessman and owner of one of Mexico's largest supermarket chains, was onboard his vessel, the Percalito. A local newspaper reported he was at the helm, which seemed plausible as he was the only passenger with the necessary license to operate such a powerful boat. However, the story took a dramatic twist when his then 26-year-old deckhand, Jose Cen Yam, walked into the police station claiming he, in fact, had been driving. This contradiction haunted MacColl's family, raising questions about the real driver, the boat's speed, and the precise location of the accident.

Kirsty's former husband and father of her sons, record producer Steve Lillywhite, has publicly stated that "no one believes" Cen Yam was driving, suggesting he was a "fall guy" to prevent Gonzalez Nova from facing an expensive lawsuit. Doubts about Cen Yam's claims were fueled by his inability to produce a qualified seaman's license, his lack of knowledge about boat technology and nautical terms, and even his struggle to distinguish between left and right during investigation. This led many to question if Gonzalez Nova would entrust his family's safety to such an unqualified individual.

Recently, Cen Yam spoke publicly for the first time, insisting to The Mail on Sunday, "No, it was me. That's the truth. The family [of Gonzalez Nova] never put pressure on me to admit to anything I didn't do. I have always told the truth about this." He maintained that Gonzalez Nova was "absolutely not" at the helm. Cen Yam, now a handyman living a simple life in Cozumel, described the accident from his perspective: he was going about five miles an hour (a little over four knots) and didn't see anyone in the water. He heard a "strange noise" from the propeller, realizing he had hit something. He slowed down, went to the back of the boat, and saw MacColl, who was beyond rescue. Cen Yam remained at the scene, holding onto MacColl's breathing tube for half an hour until authorities arrived, to prevent the current from dragging her away. Despite the tragedy, he stated, "I don't feel shame over this. It was an accident. I don't feel it was my fault."

The inconsistencies in the accounts extend to the speed and location of the collision. Cen Yam initially claimed the boat was moving at just one knot, a speed deemed implausibly slow by crime writer Alix Kirsta, who calculated it would have allowed ample time for avoidance. His more recent claim of 5 mph, while faster, would still have allowed for potential evasion. Dive captain Ivan Diaz, however, claimed he saw the Percalito closing in on them at great speed from a quarter of a mile away. Furthermore, while Cen Yam and Gonzalez Nova insisted the divers were outside the designated protected diving zone, Diaz, a highly respected professional instructor, and the driver of the MacColl family's support boat both swore they were within the park limits, where speedboats were prohibited.

Cen Yam was eventually found guilty of culpable homicide in 2003 and sentenced to two years and ten months in prison. However, under Mexican law at the time, he paid a fine equivalent to just $90 (approximately £60 in 2000) to avoid serving his sentence. For years, Kirsty MacColl's mother, Jean Newlove, led a passionate "Justice For Kirsty" campaign, arguing that the Mexican legal system was corrupt and lacked transparency and accountability. She expressed that all she ever wanted was the truth and an apology, neither of which she received before her death in 2017 at age 94. Despite Cen Yam's recent statements, the family remains unconvinced that justice has been served, leaving the exact circumstances of Kirsty MacColl's death a mystery that may never be fully solved.