Captain Guilty of Gross Negligence Manslaughter

The captain of a cargo ship involved in a collision with a tanker in the North Sea has been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter.

Vladimir Motin was the sole person on watch aboard the Solong when it collided with the US tanker Stena Immaculate off the East Yorkshire coast on 10 March 2025. The incident resulted in the disappearance and presumed death of Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, a crew member on the Solong.

Trial Details at the Old Bailey

During the trial at the Old Bailey in London, evidence was presented that Motin failed to maintain a proper lookout, did not utilize all available means to assess the risk of collision, and did not allow sufficient time to take evasive action.

Motin, aged 59 and from St Petersburg, Russia, is scheduled for sentencing on Thursday.

After more than eight hours of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict. Motin appeared emotionless as the verdict was read and was remanded into custody.

Personal Impact on Victim's Family

Prosecutor Tom Little KC informed jurors that Pernia's wife was approximately seven months pregnant at the time of his death. She resides in a remote area in the Philippines and would need to arrange travel to a location with reliable internet access to observe the sentencing proceedings.

Details of the Vessels and Cargo

The Stena Immaculate, carrying a crew of 23, was transporting over 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel from Greece to the UK.

The Solong had a crew of 14 and was carrying primarily alcoholic spirits along with some hazardous substances, including empty but unclean sodium cyanide containers.

Given both vessels were laden with flammable cargo, the risk posed by a collision was significant, the court was told.

Failures Leading to the Collision

Prosecutors outlined multiple failures by Motin prior to the collision and stated he subsequently lied about the events on the bridge.

The court heard that the tanker was visible on the Solong's radar for 36 minutes before impact. Despite this, Motin did not steer away from the collision course, sound any alarm, call for assistance, or initiate an emergency stop.

CCTV footage of the moment of impact was presented in court.

The crew of the Stena Immaculate reacted with alarm, saying:

"Holy shit... what just hit us... a container ship... this is no drill, this is no drill, fire fire fire, we have had a collision."

In contrast, the court was told there was a prolonged silence from the Solong's bridge before Motin was heard to respond.

Aftermath and Defendant's Actions

Motin and the remaining Solong crew abandoned the ship and were brought ashore in Grimsby. Following this, Motin messaged his wife stating he would be "guilty".

He denied allegations that he had been asleep or had left his post during the critical period.

Defence and Prosecution Arguments

Defence barristers acknowledged Motin's fault for the collision but argued his conduct did not constitute gross negligence manslaughter.

Prosecutor Julia Faure-Walker asserted that Motin lied about the incident to "get back to his wife" in Russia.

Faure-Walker described Motin's attitude as "lax" and stated he "thought he knew better than anyone else."

"Whether in isolation or combination, the defendant's failures were so exceptionally bad they amount to gross negligence,"

she added.

She further stated it was "inconceivable" that an experienced mariner like Motin was "unable to press a button" to switch from autopilot to manual steering, noting there were no mechanical or electronic issues on the Solong.

"The only thing that was not working on 10th March 2025 was the man in the dock,"

she said.

Official Statements Following Verdict

Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson of Humberside Police described the incident as a "senseless tragedy."

"It's a miracle that there weren't more fatalities or serious injuries,"

he said.

"This could have been a huge environmental catastrophe."

Michael Gregory from the Crown Prosecution Service stated that the "entirely avoidable" death of a crew member was caused by "truly, exceptionally bad negligence."

"Mark Pernia was just going about his day-to-day work. It is with great sadness for his family that his body has never been found,"

he added.

Gregory described Motin as an experienced vessel master whose actions on this occasion "fell gravely below the standards expected."

Additional Information

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