A RUSSIAN ship captain has been found guilty of manslaughter after ploughing a container ship into an American oil tanker.
Vladimir Motin has been convicted today for the death of a crew member aboard the tanker during the collision.
Vladimir Motin has been convicted of manslaughter today at the Old BaileyCredit: Humberside Police/AFP via Getty
The Russian ship collided with an American oil tanker in March last yearCredit: PA
A Filipino man aboard the American ship died during the disasterCredit: PA
Mark Angelo Pernia died instantly when both vessels carrying flammable goods burst into .
Motin told jurors at the Old Bailey that he had made a “mistake” and pressed the wrong button when sailing the ship in the North Sea in March last year.
He said that he tried to take his container vessel, the Solong, out of autopilot and restart the steering gear, which had no effect.
But the argued that all navigational systems were functional and Motin’s claim about rudder failure were baseless.
Tom Little, the prosecutor, told the jury that the captain did “absolutely nothing” to prevent the collision.
The jury was shown by the Solong’s black box data that the ship made no adjustments to its course or speed nearing the disaster.
Little said that the two vessels had been on a collision course for more than 30 minutes before they collided.
For 12 of those minutes, the American tanker, the Stena Immaculate, would have been visible.
Motin denied being asleep or leaving his post, stating that he did not have enough room to attempt a crash stop.
He said doing so would have endangered the lives of those inside the American tanker’s accommodation block.
Prosecutor Julia Faure told the court: “It would have been blindingly obvious to him that he had pressed the wrong button, and how to rectify it, if that is what happened.
“The reality is that he did nothing to avoid collision. Instead he launched into a that had never occurred on the Solong.
“There were no mechanical or electronic difficulties on the Solong. The rudder was working. The only thing that was not working on March 10, 2025, was the man in the dock.”
Text messages Motin sent to his wife after the disaster further undermined the Russian’s defence.
When he got to shore, he told his wife he would be found “guilty”, which was followed by her telling him to think of an alibi for the collision.
Motin told officers that he “didn’t do it intentionally, the killing” when he was being cautioned and charges read to him on March 14, 2025.
He has been remanded into custody and will be sentenced on Thursday.
Michael Gregory of the said: “This was a tragic, and entirely avoidable death of a member of crew caused by truly, exceptionally bad negligence.
“Vladimir Motin was an experienced vessel master who had captained the Solong for 15 years – but this time his actions fell gravely below the standards expected.
“His failure to act, despite clear and sustained warnings, amounted to a gross breach of duty and led to fatal consequences. It is extremely fortunate that no one else was killed.”
Motin said the collision happened because he mistakenly pressed a wrong buttonCredit: PA
The captain will be sentenced on Thursday for the death of a crew member aboard the American shipCredit: AFP via Getty Images
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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