The captain of a container ship involved in a collision with a U.S. tanker off the east coast of Britain last year has been sentenced to six years in prison for gross negligence resulting in the death of a crew member. Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, was at the helm of the Portuguese-flagged Solong when it struck the anchored Stena Immaculate on March 10, 2025. The tanker was carrying over 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel at the time of the incident.
The collision ignited a fire on both vessels and led to the death of 38-year-old Mark Pernia, a crew member from the Philippines, whose remains have not been recovered. Motin’s defense lawyer contended that although the captain made errors, he did not exemplify gross negligence, as he attempted to disengage the autopilot and alter the ship’s course.
However, following a trial at London’s Old Bailey, Motin was found guilty and was back in court for sentencing. Judge Andrew Baker criticized Motin for disabling the Solong’s alarm systems, labeling him an “accident waiting to happen.” In a poignant statement, Pernia’s wife expressed her enduring grief, noting that she was seven months pregnant with their second child at the time of his death.
