Lewis Carr Sentenced to 20 Months for Deadly Sea Collision Involving L’Ecume II

Lewis Carr, the former second officer of the Commodore Goodwill, has been jailed for 20 months following a collision with the fishing trawler L’Ecume II that killed three fishermen.

Judge Sir John Saunders said Carr, 30, had been “under pressure” as the ferry ran late but failed to properly use radar, collision-avoidance equipment, and the ship’s lookout, dividing his attention and reacting too late to the approaching vessel.

Carr was convicted in September of conduct endangering lives or ships under Jersey Shipping Law. The trial heard that the Goodwill’s lookout was sent for breakfast, leaving Carr alone on the bridge for up to 15 minutes before the collision in the early hours of 8 December 2022.

The L’Ecume II, carrying skipper Michael Michieli and crew Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyunn, sank around four miles off St Ouen’s Bay. The men’s bodies were recovered in the days and months following the tragedy.

A jury failed to reach a verdict on gross negligence manslaughter charges. Prosecutors described Carr’s conduct as “dangerous and irresponsible,” while the defence argued he had taken some action to avoid the collision.

Senior Investigating Officer Andy Shearwood said the case concluded one of Jersey Police’s most complex investigations and expressed sympathy for the victims’ families.