A MAN who broke coronavirus lockdown rules by jet-skiing from Scotland to the Isle of Man has said he "did it for love".

Lovesick Dale McLaughlan made headlines around the world when he was jailed for a month after making the perilous sea journey to meet up with girlfriend Jessica Radcliffe, who he had met just weeks earlier.

Mr McLauchlin, of Irvine, Ayrshire, told the Sunday Mirror his stunt was "crazy", but he did not have any regrets.

It took him two hours to make the 27-mile journey across the irish sea, facing six-foot waves in foggy, wet conditions with no working navigation tools. 

The 28-year-old had never ridden a jet ski before, or braved a trip on the open water on his own before he made his lovelorn journey. 

He said: “As soon as I hit open water I thought ‘Oh my God’. It was like getting a kick in the teeth.

“It was terrible. It wasn’t fun. I followed the GPS, but after half an hour a massive wave wiped it away. I didn’t have a clue where I was going.”

The father-of-two spent £5,500 for a jet ski, a dry suit and a GPS system so he could be reunited with Ms Radcliffe, who he met while working on the island. 

He told the Sunday Mirror: “I met Jess at the pub. I saw her walk in the door wearing a black skirt and a top and thought ‘I need to talk to you’!

“I was staring at her. She actually said I was a bit creepy, but she loved my eyes. She said ‘I saw you looking at me’ – and it kicked off from there.”

They spent a week together before Dale’s work permit expired and he returned home at the start of October.

He said: “The minute I got on that ferry I knew I was making one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I had to find a way back.

“I told Jessica within a week of knowing her, ‘I actually think I love you’. She said, ‘I know, it’s crazy isn’t it’?”

“The first time I’d even stood on a jet ski was in that harbour. It was 27 miles from that point to the Isle of Man. I knew the jet ski could do 52mph.

"I thought it’d take 45 minutes. I tried checking maps and oceanic currents, which I didn’t have a clue how to read.

“It said on the weather the waves were only going to be 2-3ft. When I set off it was raining and the waves were way higher. Then I lost the GPS.

"I remembered the sun rises from the east so I kept it over my left shoulder and went as fast as I could. After two hours I thought, ‘Where the bloody hell am I’? I couldn’t see a thing.

"It was foggy, raining, 6ft waves were hitting me. I thought I was lost at sea. I was scared. It was about two degrees but with water and the wind it felt a lot colder.

“My hands were numb, my forearms aching. My shoulders were in pain for days from clinging on. The water knocked me all over.

“One minute I was staring at the sky going up a 6ft wave and the next I was staring down into the abyss. The water was black and was getting in my eyes and mouth. But the thought of Jessica kept me driving on.

“I’d planned to do 50mph but I was lucky if I was getting to 25mph. Every time I tried to accelerate a massive wave knocked me back.”

He eventually made it tp the island with 10 minutes worth of fuel left. The Scot landed at 12.30pm – unaware he was photographed as he sailed into Ramsey harbour.

Dale continues: “I had my bag with Jessica’s Christmas presents. I got her a watch, a coat and a couple of girly smelly things.

“I took the dry suit off, leaving my tracksuit on underneath and marched to Jess’s house in Douglas. It was about 15 miles. I just stuck my headphones on and off I went.

“She peeked her head out of the window and let out a bit of a scream,” he said.

“She opened the door, jumped around my waist and gave me a big kiss. I said, ‘Hi, babe!’ I was still a bit smelly from the water.”

The couple, who are still together, were later visited by police at Ms Radcliffe's home. 

Mr McLauchlin said: “They stuck handcuffs on me for breaching Covid rules. I didn’t deny it – I was caught red-handed. The police had pictures of me arriving on the island and wanted to know how I got there.

“When I told them, one said ‘You’re bloody lucky to be alive! I know people that wouldn’t try that in the summer on a boat’.”

The roofer has apologised to islanders for the trouble he caused, and said he intends to settle down with Ms Radcliffe. 

He said: “I can’t thank the judge enough. Something in him understood. He could have thrown the book at me, but he didn’t. I was locked up 24/7 isolation because of Covid.

"The guard said I’d made the papers around the world. The New York Times were trying to call me! I was like, ‘What? I’m just a guy from Scotland!’ People are saying I’m a legend.

"I think I’ve lifted a lot of spirits. A lot of people say I’ve made a good end to a terrible year. That made me feel better."

He added: “Others think I’ve done a terrible thing. My car tyres got slashed on the Isle of Whithorn. I can understand both points of view. I broke the law. But I did it for love.

“I feel like there is one rule for people in power, and another rule for people like me. I wouldn’t say I regret it, but I’m sorry for whatever stress I’ve caused. I should never have done it. It could be called a crime of passion.”