I've not seen any mention of Verran sailing so I can't answer that one.Unless wherever you saw that meant on the Plymouth to Santander Ferry which the route he always took when heading to Morrocco. I say always took,you've seen my posts elsewhere so you'll know that despite the impression one might get from Verran's Mirror article he'd been going there for several years. He told me himself he went there for "the women and drugs",I never knew if he was going for holidays or if he was doing a bit of "courier work",but we're talking 16 years ago that he was making regular trips there.Something he told me personally.
He did Rehab at Broadreach House in Plymouth just before I first met him,whether this was for drug or alcohol addiction I don't know,possibly both but he certainly wasn't abstinent as he claims after he came out of Dartmoor as far as drink was concerned.
I'd be interested to know how the press were made aware of him as well.It might well be as he said in the initial article,I very much doubt he knew about Hewlet's child abuse convictions,the Pete I knew would have seriously damaged someone like that without thinking twice.The Pete I knew would also sell his Granny if he needed a fiver and knowing him it seemed a "cunning plan" at the time,not the first of his to end up in trouble.