A Russian ship captain has been found guilty of a fatal North Sea crash.
Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, has been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter after his container vessel, the Solong, collided with the anchored US oil tanker the Stena Immaculate near the Humber Estuary last March.
Both vessels were laden with flammable goods.
Crew member Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, who was on the bow of the Portuguese-flagged Solong, was killed in the collision.
His body has never been found.
Motin, from St Petersburg, had been on sole watch duty.
During his trial at the Old Bailey, he told jurors he made a “mistake” and pressed the wrong button when he tried to take the Solong out of autopilot, and efforts to restart the steering gear had no effect.
But the prosecution contended that all navigational systems were operational, and the captain’s claims of rudder failure were baseless.
Prosecutor Tom Little told jurors at the start of the trial last month that Motin did “absolutely nothing” to prevent the collision.
The captain had disabled the Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System, the prosecution showed, leaving him alone as the eyes and ears of the ship, contrary to normal safety protocols.
Mark Pernia. Pic: CPS
They also demonstrated, using data from the Solong’s black box, that there were no adjustments to the vessel’s course or speed as disaster neared.
Mr Little said the Solong had been on a collision course with the Stena Immaculate for more than 30 minutes before the deadly impact.
Michael Gregory of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This was a tragic, and entirely avoidable death of a member of crew caused by truly, exceptionally bad negligence.
“Vladimir Motin was an experienced vessel master who had captained the Solong for 15 years – but this time his actions fell gravely below the standards expected.
“His failure to act, despite clear and sustained warnings, amounted to a gross breach of duty and led to fatal consequences. It is extremely fortunate that no one else was killed.”
The MV Stena Immaculate oil tanker at anchor in the Humber Estuary after the collision. Pic: Danny Lawson/PA
The Solong, with a 14-strong crew, was carrying mainly alcoholic spirits and some hazardous substances.
The Stena Immaculate, with a crew of 23, was transporting more than 220,000 barrels of JetA1 high-grade aviation fuel from Greece to the UK.
Tug boats shadow the Solong container ship as it drifts in the Humber Estuary. Pic: Danny Lawson/PA
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