On 10 March 2025, Motin’s cargo vessel, the Solong, collided with the US-flagged oil tanker Stena Immaculate near the Humber Estuary. The impact caused a fire engulfing both ships, which were carrying highly flammable cargo such as alcoholic spirits and hazardous substances on the Solong, and over 220,000 barrels of aviation fuel on the Stena Immaculate. Filipino crew member Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, who was on the bow of the Solong, was killed in the collision, and his body was never recovered. 

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Motin failed to follow basic safety protocols. He was the sole officer on watch, disabled the ship’s navigational alarm system, and did not alert his crew or take evasive action even though the tanker had been visible on radar for 36 minutes and to the naked eye for 12 minutes before impact.

Motin claimed that he pressed the wrong button while trying to disengage the autopilot and that the rudder failed, but these claims were disproved by black box data.

Prosecutors said he “did absolutely nothing” to prevent the collision, and that the disaster could have been entirely avoided had he acted responsibly.

The jury deliberated for eight hours before finding Motin guilty. Pernia’s family faced a devastating loss, while authorities emphasized the environmental hazards that could have resulted from the crash, noting it was “a miracle” more lives were not lost given the flammable cargo on both vessels.