A captain has been confronted in a trial over the “serious and obvious” risk of death posed when his container ship collided with an anchored US oil tanker.
Both were laden with flammable goods.
Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, had been on sole watch duty last March when the Solong crashed into the Stena Immaculate near the Humber Estuary.
Crew member Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, who was on the bow of the Solong was killed in the incident.
When cross-examined by Tom Little KC about whether it had been foreseeable that the Stena Immaculate could have been carrying flammable goods, Mr Motin said, “Yeah, OK. I understand, but what you want from me?”
He previously stated he had no knowledge of the contents aboard the tanker before the collision.
The US tanker, with a crew of 23, was transporting more than 220,000 barrels of JetA1 high grade aviation fuel from Greece to the UK.
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The Solong, with a 14-strong crew, was carrying mainly alcoholic spirits and some hazardous substances.
Motin, 59, was challenged at the Old Bailey on Tuesday over a string of alleged failures.
“You collided with Stena Immaculate at 16 knots, metal-on-metal, creating a spark,” Mr Little said.
The defendant replied: “Spark will always be created.”
“I suggest the nature of this collision was foreseeable, that there was a serious and obvious risk of death to someone,” pressed Mr Little.
Mr Motin said he couldn’t “make any assumption, yes or no”.
Mr Little went on: “I suggest had you sounded that alarm in time, Mark Pernia would have been able to get out of the bow and he would have survived.”
The prosecutor rejected the defendant’s claim that he “didn’t know” Mr Pernia was on the bow, pointing out that he had been on duty and had been working in that area.
Concluding his cross-examination, he said without the collision, nobody would’ve died – something Motin agreed with.
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The prosecutor suggested Mr Motin did not keep a proper lookout, did not use all the available means to determine the risk of a collision, did not use the radar equipment, and that he did not leave enough time to prevent the crash or slow down.
Motin denied these suggestions.
Mr Little then suggested Mr Motin could’ve easily steered away, avoiding a collision.
The defendant said he had made a “mistake” when attempting to switch to manual control and didn’t realise autopilot was still on.
Motin has denied manslaughter, and the Old Bailey trial was adjourned until Wednesday.
