Vladimir Motin, the 59-year-old captain of a cargo vessel involved in a tragic North Sea collision, has been summoned to court, facing a serious charge of gross negligence manslaughter. The Russian native, hailing from Primorsky, St. Petersburg, made his appearance at the Central Criminal Court in London, better known as the Old Bailey, via a video link from his prison cell on Monday. During the brief proceedings, Motin confirmed his identity but otherwise remained silent, leading to the case being adjourned until 30th May for a plea hearing. The catastrophic incident involved Motin’s Portuguese-flagged vessel, the Solong, and a US oil tanker, the Stena Immaculate, colliding off the East Yorkshire coast on 10th March. Mark Angelo Pernia, a 38-year-old Filipino crewman aboard the Solong, is currently missing and feared dead.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.
