The Hong Kong Court’s Justice Brian Keith sentenced Lai Sai-ming, the captain of the Sea Smooth ferry, to eight years in prison on the charges of manslaughter and endangering the safety of others at sea in the 2012 collision with Lamma IV ferry that killed 39 people, the South China Morning Post reports.
Chow Chi-wai, the captain of the Lamma IV, was sentenced to nine months in prison after the jury found him guilty of endangering the safety of others at sea. He was cleared of the manslaughter charges.
The prosecution team initially charged the two seamen with gross negligence, saying that they failed to keep a proper lookout, or take effective collision avoidance maneuvers.
Both defense and prosecution teams said that they have yet to decide whether to appeal the rulings.
World Maritime News Staff