A London court has convicted Russian captain Vladimir Motin of gross negligence manslaughter following a fatal collision between his container ship, the Solong, and the anchored U.S. tanker, Stena Immaculate, off the east coast of Britain in March last year. The incident, which resulted in a fire on both vessels and the presumed death of the Solong crew member Mark Pernia, involved Motin failing to take necessary actions to prevent the crash, despite being aware of the impending collision for over half an hour.
During the trial, prosecutor Tom Little emphasized Motin’s inaction, stating he did “absolutely nothing” to avert the disaster, while Motin’s defense argued he was not grossly negligent. Motin, who had pleaded not guilty, is set to be sentenced on Thursday. The tragedy compounded Pernia’s family’s grief, as his wife was seven months pregnant at the time of his death.
The collision, which occurred while the Solong was on a routine journey from Grangemouth to Rotterdam, is also the subject of civil litigation. The ship’s alarm system had been disabled, leaving both crews unaware of the impending danger. The owner of the Solong, a subsidiary of Ernst Russ, is facing legal action in London’s High Court.
