L'Ecume II: "One of the most knowledgable fishermen" worried about large vessels

L'Ecume II skipper Michael Michieli, described in court by a friend as the "best fisherman", had expressed concerns about large vessels passing too close several times before his death at sea in 2022, a jury has heard.

The first witnesses have given evidence in the trial of the two ferry workers accused of causing the fatal collision that killed Jersey skipper Mr Michieli and his two crewmen Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyunn.

Mr Michieli's good friend, David Nuth and Philip Brown - who was also L'Ecume II's electrical engineer - took the stand on Wednesday morning (3 September)

Prosecuting, Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit also read a witness statement from Mr Michieli's wife, Clare.

David Nuth, the director of a freight company which takes national newspapers to Guernsey on the Channel Chieftain V, was the first give evidence.

He told the court that Michael Michieli was the 'best fisherman he knew' and was also 'one of the most knowledgeable fishermen' he had ever met.

However, Mr Nuth said Mr Michieli would sometimes share his concerns about larger vessels at sea, and they would speak about 'close calls'.

"Any commercial fisherman would be concerned about a larger vessel in their path"

- David Nuth, witness

He explained this is what they would call the situation where a large freight ship sails too close to their vessels, and said Michael Michieli told him: '[I] always make sure my lights are on because I don't like the big f***ers'.

"Michael always had his lights on"

" [His] boat [was] like Blackpool Illuminations"

- David Nuth, witness

Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit asked Mr Nuth what Mr Michieli was like when it came to the maintenance of his boat in the run-up to the fatal collision between the L'Ecume II and the Commodore Goodwill on 8 December 2022.

Mr Nuth said Mr Michieli was 'faultless', adding, 'if something needed doing, it was done'.

He told the court that the skipper would service the L'Ecume II regularly, and his crew, Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat, were 'really lovely fellas' that kept her 'spotless'.

Mr Buth said Mr Michieli ' a genius' when it came to fishing, and it was like 'watching a symphony orchestra' when he was at work.

Credit: Rebecca Michieli via JustGiving

Clare Michieli's witness statement, which was read to the court, recounted the hours leading up to the collision.

She said she and her husband got home at 10:00 pm on 7 December 2022, and Michael went up to bed as 'he had to be up at 3:00 am'.

The court heard that between 3:15 and 3:20 am, Michael kissed his wife goodbye and went to work.

Clare said she woke up at 6:30 am to her phone 'buzzing' and was told that something 'had happened' to Michael and the boat, and there was 'lots of debris'.

In the statement, she recounted using the AIS mapping (boat tracking) app and saw the L'Ecume II, the Commodore Goodwill and the RNLI.

The jury heard that alcohol was not allowed on Mr Michieli's boat, and there was a rule that all three on board would not be allowed to sleep at the same time.

Another witness statement from the director of the L'Ecume II's repairs company called the skipper 'meticulous' and that he would never 'compromise' himself or his crew if there was a fault on board.

Jervis Baligat (left), Michael Michieli (centre), Larry Simyunn (right)

The second witness to take the stand before lunch was the L'Ecume II's electrical engineer, and Michael Michieli's friend, Philip Brown.

He told the court about the condition of the fishing trawler, saying that he had worked on it regularly from 2011 onwards.

Mr Brown also said that there were two electrical issues on board: one of the CCTV cameras had suspected 'water damage', and the watch alarm was faulty.

He informed the jury that the watch alarm is designed to keep whoever is in the wheelhouse awake, with a gradual alarm system.

At first, it would flash a red light, and then a green light with some noise, and then it would turn to a bright blue light with a 'loud' alarm bell.

It would go off every ten minutes, and whoever was in the wheelhouse would have to press a 'big red button' to reset the alarm.

The court heard that Mr Michieli told Mr Brown that the alarm would go to the most extreme alarm immediately every 10 minutes, rather than a gradual alarm.

The prosecutor asked Mr Brown if these would have an effect on the rest of the boat's electrics, he said it was 'highly unlikely'.

READ: L’Ecume II: Jury shown radar images in the moments leading up to collision

Two former Condor employees are each accused of three counts of manslaughter and conduct endangering a ship by failing to maintain a proper lookout.

READ: Court hears L'Ecume II should have been spotted 10 minutes before collision

Goodwill's Second Officer Lewis Peter Carr and the ship's lookout  Artur Sevash-Zade deny all the charges.

The trial continues.