The captain of the Portuguese-flagged containership Solong, which collided with the American-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate on March 10 off the coast of England, made a brief court appearance on Saturday. Humberside Police reported on Friday that they had officially charged him with gross negligence manslaughter, following his arrest on Tuesday, March 11. He was subsequently remanded into police custody.
Vladimir Motin, a 59-year-old Russian national from Primorsky, St. Petersburg, appeared in a Hull court on the morning of March 15 for the formal reading of the charges. Reports indicate that he appeared with an interpreter and did not enter a plea. The court ordered him to remain in custody, scheduling a hearing for April 14 at the Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the “Old Bailey.”
During the hearing, which lasted less than an hour, prosecutor Amelia Katz provided the first details of the incident. She stated that Motin had taken over the watch approximately three hours before the allision and was in command when the Solong struck the Stena Immaculate. According to court records, the containership was traveling at a speed exceeding 15 knots at the time of the collision.
Reuters quoted the prosecutor as saying: “For a period of over 40 minutes before the collision, the Solong was on a direct course toward the Stena Immaculate, which was anchored and stationary. There were no communication attempts from the Solong to warn of the impending collision, nor did the vessel adjust its course or speed at any point.”
Frank Ferguson, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, confirmed that prosecutors had authorized the charge against Motin. He also noted that 38-year-old Mark Angelo Pernia, a Filipino crew member aboard the Solong, was missing and presumed dead as a result of the collision and subsequent fires. His death led to the manslaughter charge.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial,” Ferguson stated. “It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online that could prejudice these proceedings.”
On Friday evening, a spokesperson for the Solong’s owner, Ernst Russ, told The Maritime Executive, “It would be inappropriate for us to comment on ongoing police investigations. We are fully supporting the crew and assisting with the investigation into the incident.”
There have been no further updates on the condition of the two vessels since Friday’s report from HM Coastguard, which stated that both ships remained stable while salvage teams planned the next steps. Small fires continued to flare up periodically on the Solong, though HM Coastguard assured they were “not causing undue concern.”
The Solong is currently secured in position by a tow line. Speculation has arisen online that authorities may attempt to tow the vessel out of the North Sea, though no official confirmation has been provided. Meanwhile, the Stena Immaculate remains at the same location where it had anchored on March 9, over 15 hours before the collision occurred