The captain of a cargo ship has been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter following a fatal collision between two vessels off the coast of Withernsea last year.
Vladimir Motin, 59, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, Russia, was convicted on Monday, February 2, after a three-week trial at the Old Bailey.
The collision happened on Monday, March 10, 2025, around 10.2 miles off the East Yorkshire coast, when the Solong tanker struck the anchored container vessel Stena Immaculate. One crew member, able seaman Mark Pernia, was reported missing and later declared dead. His remains have never been found.
Humberside Police said they were alerted to the incident shortly before 11am by HM Coastguard, triggering a multi-agency rescue operation.
All 23 crew members from the Stena Immaculate were safely rescued, while 13 of the 14 crew members aboard the Solong were also accounted for and brought ashore to Grimsby Docks.
Extensive searches failed to locate Mr Pernia, who was later declared dead because of the length of time that had passed and the hostile conditions at sea.
An investigation was launched by Humberside Police, supported by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, examining technical data, radio transmissions and witness statements from both vessels.
The senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson, said: “From 9.10am, on Monday, 10 March, the Solong was observed to be heading on a fixed course which would take it through an area where a number of ships were anchored, including the Stena Immaculate, which had been anchored since 6.30pm the previous day.
“After reviewing radio transmissions from both vessels, there was no evidence that communications were made from the Solong to alert any ships of its presence or any impending collision.
“My team reviewed further data provided by the HM Coastguard which confirmed the speed and course of the Solong remained constant up until the point of collision at 9.47am.
“Further investigations were carried out, and we established that Vladimir Motin had been on watch from 6.50am (UK time) and was the only person responsible for the vessel at the relevant time. However, confirmation of this came through our analysis of the voyage data recorder from the Solong which indicated that there had been no audible activity from Motin, or any other member of the crew, in the minutes before and immediately after the collision.
“Motin was arrested later that day on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after the search for the missing crew member, Mark Pernia, was called off and he was declared deceased.”
Motin was interviewed over the following four days before being charged and remanded into custody. He appeared at Hull Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, March 15, and was further remanded to Hull Prison.
Following the trial, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict. Motin has been remanded into custody and is due to be sentenced on Thursday, February 5.
Det Chf Supt Nicholson added: “Vladmir Motin was the captain of the Solong, and the only person on watch at the time of the collision. He had a responsibility and a duty of care for the safety of his crew, his vessel, and also for the safety of other vessels in his vicinity. Captain Motin completely failed in this duty, causing the death of one of his own crew and endangering the remaining lives of the crews of both vessels.
“I welcome the jury’s verdict in this case and thank them for their careful examination of the evidence, which was both complex and significant. I sincerely hope that this verdict will provide some solace to the family of Mark Pernia.
“Mark Pernia was a merchant sailor who tragically died while doing his job, but he was also a beloved husband and a father to two young children, and his entire family have been devastated by his loss. I would like to express my sincere and heartfelt condolences to Mark’s family, and my gratitude for their patience and understanding throughout this lengthy investigation.
“Had it not been for the valiant rescue efforts led by His Majesty’s Coastguard, the loss of life would undoubtedly have been far greater, and the wider environmental impact could have been catastrophic. I would like to formally recognise and thank the brave efforts of all those engaged in the rescue, recovery, and salvage operations.
“I would also like to thank my investigation team and our partners for their unwavering commitment and professionalism throughout. It is through their hard work and determination in establishing the facts of the case, that Vladimir Motin has been brought to justice today.
“This was a tragic and unnecessary death, and I hope that the verdict will act as a stark reminder as to the responsibilities held to all those who operate at sea, and that future tragedies can be prevented.”