In a sentencing handed down on Thursday, a London court imposed a six-year prison term on Vladimir Motin, 59, for causing the death of a crew member through gross negligence. Motin was captain of the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong when it collided with the tanker Stena Immaculate while the tanker was at anchor on March 10, 2025.
The collision led to the death of 38-year-old Mark Pernia, a Filipino national and member of the Solong crew. Pernias body has not been recovered and he is presumed dead, according to the court record.
Motin was convicted earlier in the week at Londons Old Bailey and was returned to court for sentencing on Thursday. At that hearing, Judge Andrew Baker addressed the captain directly, stating that Pernia died "under your command ... and because of your gross negligence".
The sentencing concludes the criminal trial phase in which Motin was found responsible for conduct amounting to gross negligence that caused the death of a crew member during the incident at sea. The facts presented to the court established the date of the collision and the nationalities and identities of those involved, as recorded in court proceedings.
Below are the essential facts presented in court and reflected in the sentence:
- The collision occurred on March 10, 2025, off Britains east coast.
- The vessel under Motins command was the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong.
- The ship struck the anchored tanker Stena Immaculate.
- The deceased is identified as 38-year-old Filipino national Mark Pernia, a crew member of the Solong; his body has not been found and he is presumed dead.
- Motin was convicted at the Old Bailey and sentenced to six years in prison for causing death by gross negligence.
The courts ruling and the imposed sentence are the recorded outcomes arising from the collision and subsequent trial. Beyond the conviction and sentencing, the available record notes the unresolved status of Pernias remains.
For families and for the maritime community, the case provides a legal determination tied to a fatal incident at sea. The judgment rests on the courts finding of gross negligence in the captains command decisions during the events that led to the collision and the loss of life.