Captain admits Belfast Lough crash damage
He crashed his ship while under the influence of alcohol A captain has pleaded guilty to causing hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage to his ship and the vessel he collided with in Belfast Lough.At a previous hearing Miroslaw Pozniak, 55, admitted crashing his ship while under the influence of alcohol.He could face up to two years in prison.Pozniak was at the helm of a cargo ship in March when it crashed into a ferry with 100 passengers and crew on board.Downpatrick Crown Court heard that the Maritime and Coastal Agency had brought its own charges against the Polish man.They included failing to keep a proper look out, failing to navigate, causing serious damage to his own ship the Union Moon as well as another vessel the Stena Feronia.He pleaded guilty to those charges, but he denied he failed to follow the safety rules of his former employers, along with proper watch keeping arrangements.The latter two charges will remain 'on the books' and will not be proceeded with.The court heard while no-one was injured, the damage to the Stena Feronia will be more than 500,000 and the damage to his own ship will be also a six-figure sum.The judge ...
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