Denmark charges UK seaman over fatal cargo ship collision

Authorities in Copenhagen allege 30-year-old was drunk on his watch

Divers on the capsized Danish cargo ship 'Karin Hoj' after it collided with the British cargo vessel 'Scot Carrier' in the Baltic Sea. AP.

Danish authorities on Tuesday charged a 30-year-old British seaman with negligent manslaughter over a fatal cargo ship collision last year, with the “particularly aggravating” factor that the suspect was allegedly drunk on his watch.

Two crew members of the Danish-flagged Karin Hoj were killed on December 13 after the freighter collided with the British Scot Carrier in the Baltic Sea off southern Sweden and capsized, without sinking.

The British seaman, who has not been named, was the duty mate on the Scot Carrier, according to Danish authorities.

The Briton was also charged with failing to provide help or assistance to the crew of the Karin Hoj.

He was arrested shortly after the collision by Swedish police and extradited to Denmark in February. Since then, he has been held in pre-trial custody and faces a trial this month in Copenhagen.

The cargo ships collided south of Ystad in Sweden, close to the Danish island of Bornholm, when the two seamen went missing. An air and sea search operation eventually located their bodies.

The suspect was charged with manslaughter, maritime drunkenness and negligence in maritime traffic, Danish police said.

The court case is expected to begin in Copenhagen City Court on June 16 with a ruling expected on June 23, the police said.