Ship captain rejected ‘crash stop’ to save US tanker crew lives, court told

Vladimir Motin had been on sole watch duty last March when the Solong crashed into the Stena Immaculate near the Humber Estuary, killing crew member Mark Angelo Pernia, 38. On Monday, Motin, 59, said he did not initiate a "crash stop" because he feared the move would kill crew in the accommodation block on the US-registered tanker. He told jurors: "This is exactly what I thought because I thought the distance to stop is not enough.

"I decided to continue as I am because priority to hit in correct place than hit in accommodation block because to me there was no risk to life. "I put life of American crew in danger if I hit accommodation." The Stena Immaculate had 23 crew and was transporting more than 220,000 barrels of JetA1 high grade aviation fuel from Greece to the UK.

CCTV captured the collison between Solong and the Stena Immaculate (Humberside Police/PA)

Motin told jurors that he was unaware that Mr Pernia had been on the bow of the Solong at the point of impact. He said he did not raise the alarm on the Solong or contact the Stena Immaculate beforehand because he was concentrating on the vessel movement.

Motin told jurors that he had already done several trips from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in Holland when the tragedy struck. The defendant denied he was asleep and insisted he never left his post on the bridge even for a comfort break that morning. He first became aware of the Stena Immaculate from between 10 and 12 nautical miles away.

However, he delayed taking evasive action because he thought the tanker was moving slowly but unpredictably.

Mark Pernia died when fire spread from the Stena Immaculate to Solong (Humberside Police/PA)

When the Solong reached one nautical mile from the Stena Immaculate, Motin decided to take it out of autopilot and steer 15 degrees.

Asked if he looked at the button when he switched to manual, Motin said: "Literally, I done it more than 1,000 times. "In reality you don't look to the button when you press it." Motin told jurors he rotated the wheel starboard by 20 degrees.

When nothing happened after five seconds, he increased the rudder angle to no effect. "I thought I have no rudder at all, it's not responding so I have to look around and see why is not responding," he said. Motin told jurors he could see no light on the autopilot control panel.

His attempts to change course having failed, Motin recalled a company representative telling him about a rudder fault on sister ship, Sanskip Express, a few days earlier. He proceeded to stop and restart the steering gear, as he had been advised if he experienced a similar problem. But, Motin said, "nothing helped".

Mr Justice Baker asked: "Did you at the time think about slowing down or did you not give it any thought at all?" Motin replied: "I was thinking that I solve the problem soon instead of reversing the engine." He was not expecting an explosion or fire to erupt when the Solong crashed into the Stena Immaculate.

After he and his remaining crew were evacuated to Grimsby, Motin told his wife via WhatsApp there had been "a disaster" and he would "be guilty". Under cross-examination, Motin accepted he had a duty to protect the safety of his crew and that he had failed to avoid the collision. He added: "I accept that I failed to change from autopilot to manual correctly.

"The vessel was technically perfect. "It was my mistake." The defendant said he only began to suspect the Solong had still been on autopilot when he was on the lifeboat, having abandoned ship.

Motin, from Primorsky, St Petersburg, has denied manslaughter and the Old Bailey trial continues.