By Tom Innes

Copyright jerseyeveningpost

A CREWMAN facing three manslaughter charges stemming from a fatal collision between his ship and a fishing trawler has described in court how he was in his first week of carrying out duties as a lookout.

Artur Sevash-Zade told the Royal Court that he had began working on Condor freight vessel the Commodore Goodwill in late October 2022, around six weeks before the collision with fishing trawler L’Ecume II on 8 December.

All three members of L’Ecume’s crew, captain Michael Michieli and crewmen Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat, died following the incident. Both Mr Sevash-Zade (35) and his colleague Lewis Carr, a 30-year-old who was second officer on the Goodwill, deny three counts of manslaughter.

Listening to questions from his lawyer, Advocate Mike Preston, Ukrainian national Mr Sevash-Zade spoke in Russian, with an interpreter translating his comments into English.

The court heard that after around two years carrying out social work after leaving university, Mr Sevash-Zade changed career and qualified from a maritime college, taking up his first job in the role of ordinary seaman in 2015 at the age of 25.

After working on four ships as an ordinary seaman, Mr Sevash-Zade said in 2021 he had attained the role of able seaman, which he carried out on two vessels before joining the Goodwill.

The jury heard that Mr Sevash-Zade had first been deployed as a lookout on Sunday 4 December, working with Mr Carr. The second officer looked young, he said, but he had no doubt about his qualifications and experience.

Mr Sevash-Zade said his colleague was “always calm, never nervous and I had no concerns about him”.

The court heard that since his arrest in July 2024 and court appearance the next day, Mr Sevash-Zade had been held in custody for two months, subsequently staying in Jersey and finding some work for the period leading up to this month’s trial.

Although he acknowledged that his English had improved during his time in Jersey, Mr Sevash-Zade said that in 2022 his linguistic ability had been sufficient for him to carry out his duties, and there had no difficulties regarding speaking or understanding English at the time of the collision.

During the first part of yesterday’s proceedings, Mr Carr said that manual controls, rather than auto-pilot, should have been used ahead of the fatal collision.

Questioned by Commissioner Sir John Saunders, presiding. “Should you have made sure to be on manual?” Mr Carr replied: “yes”.

Asked whether a switch to manual could have made a difference to what happened, Mr Carr said: “It’s hard to say with any certainty.”

Advocate Matthew Maletroit, prosecuting, asked whether Mr Carr could have taken action sooner as it became apparent that the two vessels were headed towards each other.

Mr Carr agreed that action could have been taken sooner, “with the benefit of hindsight”, but added that he believed he had complied with international regulations designed to prevent collisions.

The jury trial – now in its third week – is scheduled to last four weeks.