Sentences have been passed on the master and management company of a UK-registered cargo vessel following a fatal crash off the south coast of Sweden in which two sailors died
Two crew members on the Denmark-registered Karin Hoj lost their lives when it was struck by the Scot Carrier and capsized in the Bornholmsgattet strait during the early hours of 13 December 2021.
At Southampton Crown Court today (14 February 2025) Judge Peter Henry sentenced both Intrada Ships Management Ltd, which operated the Scot Carrier, and Sam Farrow (33), of Tower Hamlets, London, who was master of the Scot Carrier on the night of the incident.
Sentencing, Judge Henry said: “This was an accident waiting to happen.” He fined Intrada £180,000 and ordered costs of £500,000.
Farrow was sentenced to eight months’ jail, suspended for 12 months, with £25,000 costs.
The prosecutions were brought by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), with assistance by authorities in Sweden and Denmark.
The case against Farrow was that he had not taken safety action despite being aware that his Second Officer was failing to meet his duties as officer-of-the-watch on the bridge of the Scot Carrier.
Ahead of the collision, the Second Officer was alone and had consumed alcohol while chatting to people online on his tablet computer. Navigation alarms were switched off and he was unaware the Scot Carrier was gaining on the Karin Hoj, a split hopper barge.
Farrow pleaded guilty to failing to operate a ship in accordance with the safety management system, under Regulation 7 of the Merchant Shipping (International Safety Management Code) Regulations 2014.
The MCA’s case against Intrada was that it had previously been made aware of officers-of-the-watch undertaking their duty alone on some of its ships – against regulations and guidance – but had failed to take preventative action.
Intrada was found guilty at a four-week trial at Southampton Crown Court of failing to operate a ship safely, under Section 100 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
Sentencing, Judge Henry said:
The failure to provide lookouts was the undoubtedly the single biggest failure, but the failure properly to oversee and enforce bridge discipline amongst the crew introduced additional distractions from the safe operation of the vessel which aligned to create the hole in the model and led directly to the collision.
Mark Flavell, MCA senior maritime investigator, said after the hearing:
Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of the two men who lost their lives on the Karin Hoj.