LONDON, Jan 13 (Reuters) – The captain of a container ship that hit a U.S. oil tanker off Britain’s east coast last year did “absolutely nothing” to prevent the fatal collision that could have been avoided, British prosecutors said on Tuesday as a trial began in the death of a crew member.
Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, was the captain of the Portuguese-flagged Solong, which hit the anchored Stena Immaculate oil tanker on March 10, 2025.
Four days later, Moting was charged with causing the death of 38-year-old Filipino national and Solon crew member Mark Pernia, but his body was never found and he is presumed dead.
He has pleaded not guilty to one count of gross negligence manslaughter and is on trial at London’s Old Bailey court, with prosecutor Tom Little saying Peña’s death was “entirely avoidable”.
“But for the grossly negligent conduct of the man in the dock, he would still be alive,” Little told jurors.
He said the Sauron collided with the Stena Immaculate, which was carrying “a large amount of aviation fuel” more than half an hour before the crash.
Little told the court that Moting, as captain of the Solon, owed Peña a duty of care because he was “on watch alone on the bridge” before the fatal accident.
“Ultimately, he took no action, absolutely nothing, to avoid the collision,” Little added.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Sarah Young)