Russian captain sentenced to 6 years for manslaughter after collision killed Filipino crewman in North Sea, 2025.

Russian captain Vladimir Motin, 59, was sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter by gross negligence after the container ship Solong collided with the anchored oil tanker Stena Immaculate in the North Sea on March 10, 2025. The impact killed 38-year-old Filipino crew member Mark Angelo Pernia instantly, whose body was never recovered. Motin, on solo watch, failed to take evasive action despite the tanker being visible on radar for 36 minutes, and did not sound alarms, slow down, or initiate a crash stop. The court found his actions showed a blatant disregard for risk, calling him a “serious accident waiting to happen.” Both vessels carried hazardous cargo—alcohol and jet fuel—leading to a massive fire that destroyed them. The jury convicted Motin after eight hours of deliberation, rejecting his claim of a button error. Pernia’s widow described the lasting emotional toll on her family.