Longdawn cargo ship captain and crew member handed conditional prison sentences for hit and run at sea
The captain and a crew member of the cargo ship Longdawn have been conditionally sentenced to prison for abandoning the scene after the ship collided with the trawler Höddu. The captain was temporarily stripped of his navigational rights.
The Reykjanes District Court today delivered its judgment on the captain and a crew member of the Longdawn. Both admitted guilt in court yesterday, leaving only the sentencing to be decided. The captain was sentenced to twelve months in prison and the crew member to eight months. Both sentences are conditional. The captain was additionally stripped of his navigational rights for three months. He is also prohibited from serving as a crew member during this period. The prosecutor had sought twelve and nine months in prison for the men respectively.
The men were convicted for abandoning the scene when Longdawn collided with the trawler Höddu off Garðskagi in May and did not assist the crew of Höddu. The cargo ship and the trawler were seized shortly after the incident and have been under a travel ban since then.
The captain was also convicted for being under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the collision.
Since the judgment has been delivered and the sentence is conditional, the men can now leave the country.