L’Ecume II Blamed for Condor Ferry Crash

A fishing trawler that sank after colliding with a Condor ferry was at fault, the ferry’s former second officer told Jersey’s Royal Court.

Lewis Carr, 30, denies three counts of gross negligence manslaughter following the deaths of skipper Michael Michieli and crew members Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat when L’Ecume II struck Condor’s Commodore Goodwill in December 2022. He is on trial alongside former colleague Artur Sevash-Zade, who also denies the charges.

Carr said the trawler failed to follow international collision regulations, claiming it showed no fishing lights, had no effective lookout and turned “across the bow” in breach of multiple rules. He admitted that “things could’ve been done better” on the bridge, but maintained the crash stemmed from L’Ecume II’s actions.

The court also heard Carr describe the trauma of the aftermath, saying he gave inaccurate statements to police and Ports of Jersey because he was “not in a fit mental state” at the time.

He accepted communication with his lookout could have been clearer and that the collision might have been avoided had he acted earlier.

The trial continues.