Appeal Rejected for Ship Officer Jailed Over Fatal Jersey Collision

A ship officer jailed after a ferry collision that killed three fishermen has lost his appeal against his sentence.

Lewis Carr, 31, was on duty aboard Condor’s Commodore Goodwill when it struck the fishing vessel L’Ecume II in December 2022, killing skipper Michael Michieli and crew members Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat. Carr was sentenced to 20 months in prison in December after being found guilty of breaching Jersey’s shipping laws. Jurors failed to reach verdicts on three counts of gross negligence manslaughter.

At the Royal Court on Thursday, Carr’s defence argued the sentence was excessive for someone of good character and said the collision was not deliberate. Lawyers also highlighted uncertainty over whether the trawler’s lights were on, which could have affected right-of-way.

Prosecutors argued Carr failed to keep a proper lookout, ignored radar warnings and cut corners while under pressure to make up time. They described his actions as “lazy and inexcusable”.

Dismissing the appeal, jurats ruled Carr’s decisions showed serious negligence and led to the “tragic deaths” of the three fishermen.