Captain Accused of Gross Negligence in Deadly Collision
A Russian ship captain took no action to prevent his vessel from crashing into a stationary US oil tanker for more than half an hour, a London court has been told. The collision in the North Sea resulted in a major fire and the death of a crew member.
Vladimir Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, denies the manslaughter of Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, whose body was never recovered after the incident on 10 March 2025.
Prosecutor Tom Little KC told the Old Bailey that Motin was on sole watch duty aboard the container ship Solong when it struck the anchored US tanker Stena Immaculate. "Ultimately he would still be alive if it was not for the grossly negligent conduct of the man in the dock," Mr Little stated.
The Events Leading to Catastrophe
The 130-metre long Solong, weighing 7,852 gross tonnes, had departed Grangemouth in Scotland on the evening of 9 March, bound for Rotterdam. It was carrying alcoholic spirits and hazardous substances, including empty sodium cyanide containers.
The 183.2-metre Stena Immaculate was anchored, laden with over 220,000 barrels of high-grade aviation fuel from Greece to the UK. Just over 12 hours after setting sail, the Solong approached the anchorage area.
"Despite an obvious collision course, the defendant did not deviate his vessel from its path," the prosecutor said. He emphasised that the risk was visible both to the naked eye and on shipboard computer systems for a prolonged period. "He did nothing, absolutely nothing, to avoid the collision."
Fire, Death, and Ongoing Trial
At approximately 9.47am on 10 March, the bow of the Solong slammed into the side of the tanker. The impact caused aviation fuel to leak and a fire to spread across both vessels.
Mark Angelo Pernia, who was working at the front of the Solong, was killed in the collision. The court heard Motin had a "constellation of information" warning him to act but failed to do so.
"It is this gross breach of duty to the man he killed, and indeed to his own crew, that led inexorably to a death," Mr Little concluded. The trial at the Old Bailey continues as Vladimir Motin maintains his plea of not guilty to manslaughter.
