Jervis Baligat, Michael Michieli and Larry Simyunn were aboard fishing trawler L'Ecume II when it sank in 2022. All three men were later found dead.

Closing arguments are scheduled to commence this afternoon on the 15th day of the trial of two crewmen from the Commodore Goodwill charged with manslaughter following a fatal collision at sea.

Ukrainian seaman Artur Sevash-Zade (35) and his former colleague Lewis Carr, the 30-year-old second officer from Sunderland, have stood trial facing three counts of unlawful killing – which they deny – after their vessel collided with L’Ecume II almost three years ago.

All three members of L’Ecume’s crew, captain Michael Michieli from Jersey and crewmen Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat, both from the Philippines, died following the collision in December 2022.

The case for the second defendant, Mr Sevash-Zade, concluded yesterday following arguments from his defence counsel, Advocate Mike Preston, and cross-examination from Advocate Matthew Maletroit, prosecuting.

Earlier in the trial, Advocate Maletroit had presented the prosecution case, followed by the defence submissions of Advocate Simon Thomas, representing Mr Carr.

With the Royal Court not sitting this morning, it is understood the jury will return to court this afternoon, at which point legal directions will be given by Commissioner Sir John Saunders, the presiding judge, followed by closing speeches from the three advocates.

Once the closing arguments are complete, it is expected the jury will be sent out to begin consideration of their verdicts on either Monday or Tuesday.

A major search-and-rescue operation was triggered off Jersey’s west coast in the hours after the collision between the two boats on 8 December 2022, with a recovery mission the following week leading to two bodies being recovered from the wreck, later identified as crewmen Mr Baligat and Mr Simyunn.

In February 2023, it was decided that L’Ecume II should be raised for both “evidential gain and for humanitarian reasons” and specialist teams and equipment – including a 60-metre-long crane barge – started the operation two months later.

A body was brought ashore on 26 April and the identity of the third victim – Mr Michieli – was formally confirmed on 3 May.

A year after the collision, Jersey’s police chief Robin Smith gave an update on the investigation, dubbed Operation Nectar.

He said officers had completed more than 600 lines of inquiry and worked through more than 1,075 documents, 467 pieces of media, such as CCTV footage and photographs, 920 exhibits and 258 pieces of property, as well as obtaining 202 statements from 138 witnesses.

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The L’Ecume II trial

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