A Russian sea captain has been accused of doing 'absolutely nothing' to prevent a catastrophic collision in the North Sea that claimed the life of a Filipino crew member, the Old Bailey heard.
A Catastrophe Foretold
Prosecutor Tom Little KC told jurors that the death of 38-year-old Mark Angelo Pernia on 10 March 2025 was 'entirely avoidable'. The court heard that Vladimir Motin, 59, was on sole watch duty aboard the container ship Solong when it smashed into the anchored US oil tanker Stena Immaculate.
Despite having a 'constellation of information' warning him of the danger, including radar displays showing the tanker's location some 36 minutes before impact, Motin 'did not deviate' from his course. The impending disaster was said to be obvious both to the naked eye and on the ship's computer equipment long before the two vessels met.
The Moment of Impact and Aftermath
The Solong, a 130-metre vessel weighing 7,852 gross tonnes, had departed Grangemouth, Scotland, on the evening of 9 March 2025, bound for Rotterdam. It was carrying alcoholic spirits and hazardous substances, including empty sodium cyanide containers. The Stena Immaculate, laden with over 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel, was anchored with its engines shut down.
At approximately 9.47am on 10 March, the bow of the Solong, travelling at over 15 knots, struck the side of the tanker. The impact caused aviation fuel to leak, triggering a fire that engulfed both ships. Dramatic CCTV footage captured the explosion, with a crewman on the tanker heard exclaiming, 'Holy s**t, what just hit us?'
Mr Pernia, who was working at the front of the Solong, was killed in the collision. His body has never been recovered.
'Gross Breach of Duty' Alleged
Prosecutor Tom Little stated that Motin, a 'highly trained' captain, had multiple opportunities to act. 'Ultimately, he would still be alive if it was not for the grossly negligent conduct of the man in the dock,' Little told the jury.
The court heard that the captain owed a duty of care to his crew and that his alleged failure constituted a 'gross breach' of that duty. 'The risk of death was serious and obvious and negligence was so bad that it was gross,' Little added.
Vladimir Motin, from Primorsky, St Petersburg, denies a charge of manslaughter. The trial continues.
