Russian captain of North Sea crash ship remanded in custody

The Russian captain of the container ship that crashed into a US oil tanker in the North Sea has appeared in court, where he was remanded in custody.

The Solong’s master, Vladimir Motin, 59, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, in Russia, appeared at Hull Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

Motin stood in the glass-fronted dock for the 35-minute-long hearing, which was told how his vessel collided with the American tanker Stena Immaculate off the east coast of Yorkshire on Monday.

The court heard how all 23 people on the tanker were rescued along with 13 crew members from the Solong but Mark Angelo Pernia – a 38-year-old Filipino national – could not be located.

There was no application for bail and Motin was remanded in custody by deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram, who appeared by videolink.

No pleas were entered.

Motin will appear next at the Old Bailey on April 14.

Clean-shaven and wearing glasses, the defendant was flanked by one security guard and had the help of a Russian interpreter.

Sporting short black hair, parted on the left, the defendant was wearing a grey T-shirt under a blue checked shirt and an unzipped black fleece jacket.

He spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and that he did not have an address in the UK.

Prosecutor Amelia Katz, who also appeared by videolink, told the court how the collision happened at about 9.47am on Monday at 10.2 nautical miles from the nearest point on the coast.

She said the 140m-long Solong was Portuguese-registered and was carrying about 157 containers.

Ms Katz said the Stena Immaculate was 183m long and was carrying jet fuel.

She said this vessel was anchored at the point of the collision at 6.50pm on Sunday evening – about 15 hours before the impact.

Ms Katz said the Solong was travelling at about 15 knots when it directly impacted on the port side of the other vessel.

“There was an explosion upon impact in the area of the forward deck,” the prosecutor said.

“There was rapid spread of fire along the Solong deck and into the water.”

Ms Katz said Mr Pernia was working in the forward deck part of the ship, in the area where there was an explosion.

She said: “All 23 crew members were rescued from the Stena Immaculate and accounted for.

“Thirteen of the 14 crews members of the Solong were rescued and accounted for, save for Mr Pernia.

“Attempts were made by some of the other crew members of the Solong to locate Mr Pernia but they were not able to.”

Andrew Havery, defending, said he is hoping to apply for bail next week when accommodation for his client has been secured.

Mr Havery said: “Mr Motin’s employers are fully supportive of him.”

The Stena Immaculate is still at anchor at the point where the collision happened, off the East Yorkshire coast, near Withernsea.

The Solong drifted south of this location, to a point where it could be seen off the Lincolnshire coast.

On Friday, chief coastguard Paddy O’Callaghan said the vessels are “stable” and salvors have boarded them both to continue damage assessments.

He said: “There are now only small periodic pockets of fire on the Solong which are not causing undue concern.

“Specialist tugs with firefighting capability remain at both vessels’ locations.

“Regular aerial surveillance flights continue to monitor the vessels and confirm that there continues to be no cause for concern from pollution from either the Stena Immaculate or from the Solong.

“The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is also assisting in the response and continues to advise that any public health risk on shore is deemed to be very low.

“The UKSHA will keep risk assessments under continual review as further information becomes available.”