Senior Associate James Broomhall has provided comment in Maritime Journal and Seatrade Maritime News on the sentencing of Vladimir Motin to six years’ imprisonment for gross negligence manslaughter, following the death of Mark Angelo Pernia after a collision between two ships in the North Sea.

Discussing the wider implications of the sentence imposed, James said: “The six year sentence imposed on Vladimir Motin demonstrates how seriously the courts treat safety failures at sea where a life is lost. The court found that Motin failed to maintain a proper lookout and did not take adequate steps to avoid the collision, leading to a death the judge described as ‘wholly avoidable’.”

James also provided clarity as to Motin’s charge, commenting: “Gross negligence manslaughter arises where conduct falls so far below the standard expected of a competent professional that it becomes criminal.”

James’ comments were published in Maritime Journal and Seatrade Maritime News, 05 February 2026.