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A Russian captain was “negligent” and took “absolutely no action” to prevent the fatal incident. humber estuary The court has been told of the crash.
Vladimir Motin, 59, charged after his container ship Solong collided with U.S. tanker Sterner Perfection in the north sea Last March, when he was on duty alone Responsible for driving the ship.
Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, died Collision on East Yorkshire coastBut Motin, who is from St. Petersburg’s Primorye region, denied that his crew had been killed accidentally.
open his Old Bailey During the trial on Tuesday, prosecutor Tom Little KC said the case involved the “entirely avoidable death” of a crew member.
He told jurors: “Ultimately, had it not been for the defendant’s grossly negligent behavior on the dock, he would still be alive and he was also the captain of the ship on which the sailor was working.
“The master owed a duty of care to ensure his safety and we say the defendant clearly breached that duty of care, causing his death. The risk of death was serious and obvious and the degree of negligence was serious and serious.”
On the morning of March 10, 2025, the “Soron” approached the area where other ships, including the “Stena Immaculate”, were anchored in the North Sea.
The Solong’s bow struck the side of the anchored Stena Immaculate at around 9.47am.
Jurors were told the US-registered tanker was carrying a large amount of aviation fuel that leaked, causing both ships to catch fire.
Mr Little said Mr Peña was working on the front of the Solon and died in the collision, but his body was never found.
Mr Little said the Solong was on a direct collision course with the Stena Immaculate for more than 30 minutes and it was “clear” that a collision was likely, both visible to the naked eye and from information displayed on the computer equipment available to Motin.
Prosecutors told jurors that despite warning signs that he needed to take action, the “well-trained” Moting “did exactly the opposite and took no steps to avoid the collision.”
“He could and should have acted differently,” Mr Little said.
Mr Little said the “well-trained” captain “could and should have done a lot”.
“It was this gross dereliction of duty to those he killed, and to his own crew, that resulted in his callous death and trial before you. Old Bailey,” the prosecutor said.
Judge Andrew Baker told jurors they must “turn a blind eye” to the nationality of the seafarers involved in the collision.
He said: “This case has been brought here, I mean, in this country, because this collision at sea took place in British waters.
“It is not surprising to find that the seafarers involved were of different nationalities.”
He added that fact was “completely irrelevant” to the issues jurors had to consider and urged them to “turn a blind eye” to where the various seafarers may have come from.
Moting denies manslaughter. The trial continues.