Jersey fishing boat manslaughter trial begins

The trial of two men accused of killing three fishermen whose boat sank off the coast of Jersey has begun.

Artur Sevash-Zade, 35, and Lewis Peter Carr, 30, are each facing three manslaughter charges relating to the deaths of Michael Michieli, Jervis Ramirez Baligat and Larry Simyunn.

At Jersey’s Royal Court, both men pleaded not guilty to three counts of manslaughter and to a breach of Jersey’s shipping law relating to a failure to discharge duties related to their ship in a manner likely to cause “loss destruction, death or injury”.

The trial will be held in the government of Jersey’s Parade Road studio and is expected to last up to four weeks.

Mr Michieli, 62, from Jersey, was the skipper of the fishing boat L’Ecume II that sank on 8 December 2022 when it collided with a freight ferry. Mr Baligat, 31, and Mr Simyunn, 33, both Filipino nationals, were crew members onboard.

A jury of 14 people were sworn in – the presiding judge, Commissioner Sir John Saunders, said only 12 were required to give a verdict but the length of the trial meant it was important to have some contingency.