Shotgun officer detained as Sweden plans to search Danish ship
The British non-commissioned officer from Scot Carrier was formally held today for accusations stemming from the collision with a Danish barge on Monday that killed one and left a second person missing. The arrest hearing took place in Malmö District Court, where the court accepted the prosecutor’s recommendations that the crew member be remanded in custody pending trial.
Based on its investigation, the prosecutor’s office requested that the British citizen be “arrested on suspicion of probable cause for aggravated drunk driving, gross negligence in maritime traffic and aggravated causing another person’s death”. Swedish media indicate that the crew member, who is said to be in his 30s and was on the ship’s pier at the time of the collision, admitted to the court the charge of negligence in maritime traffic. He denied the more serious allegations of negligent murder.
The shipping company that owns Scot Carrier had previously confirmed that two crew members were found to be above Sweden’s legal limit for alcohol poisoning during normal sampling after the collision. The Scot Carrier did not manage to stop after the accident and only returned to the scene after being called by the Swedish Coast Guard when an emergency lighthouse on the Danish Karin Høj began to signal.
The Coast Guard is preparing to continue the investigation and search for the missing crew member from Karin Høj Friday, December 17 after the expected salvage of the ship. The Danish ship, which is still capsized, lost some of its buoyancy on 15 December and sank deeper into the coastal waters. The Coast Guard and the sea rescue service tightened oil barriers around the ship.
A salvage team arrived on site from Denmark and their plan to take off Karin Høj was approved by the Swedish Transport Agency. After the ship has been repaired, the Coast Guard plans to board it to conduct a further inspection and search for the missing crew member. The ship will then return to Denmark.
A second crew member from Scot Carrier was released by Swedish police after prosecutors reported that the case against the person who was the chief mate on the ship had weakened. AIS data indicates that Scott Carrier remains in the quay in Sweden and the authorities have not stated when they may release the ship.