UK Ship Master and Management Company Sentenced for Fatal Collision

A UK ship master and management company have received sentences at Southampton Crown Court for a fatal 2021 collision that claimed two lives off Sweden’s coast, highlighting systemic failures in maritime safety protocols.

Sam Farrow, 33, of London, received an eight-month suspended jail sentence and £25,000 in costs, while Intrada Ships Management Ltd was fined £180,000 with £500,000 in costs for the December 13, 2021, incident.

The collision occurred when the UK-registered Scot Carrier struck the Denmark-registered Karin Hoj in the Bornholmsgattet strait, causing it to capsize and resulting in the deaths of two crew members.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) prosecution revealed serious safety breaches aboard the Scot Carrier. The Second Officer, who was alone on watch, had consumed alcohol and was distracted by online activities on a tablet computer. Critical navigation alarms had also been disabled.

“This was an accident waiting to happen,” stated Judge Peter Henry during sentencing.

Farrow pleaded guilty to failing to operate the ship according to safety management regulations after not taking action despite knowing his Second Officer was failing to meet watchkeeping duties.

The case against Intrada Ships Management revealed a pattern of negligence. The company had been previously warned about officers conducting solo watchkeeping duties against regulations but failed to take corrective action. Following a four-week trial, Intrada was found guilty of failing to operate a ship safely under Section 100 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

“The failure to provide lookouts was 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,” said Judge Henry in his ruling.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) investigation uncovered multiple failures on both vessels. Neither watchkeeper took appropriate action to prevent the collision, and the Scot Carrier’s watchkeeper made course changes without proper safety checks.

In response to the incident, the MAIB issued recommendations for Scot Carrier’s management company to review its navigational audit results and determine additional training needs. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency was advised to remind the shipping industry that posting an additional lookout during nighttime operations and restricted visibility is mandatory for UK ships and vessels in UK waters.

MCA senior maritime investigator Mark Flavell acknowledged the human cost of the incident, stating, “Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of the two men who lost their lives on the Karin Hoj.”