Drunk Russian sea captain twice crashed his 30,000 tonne ship into lock gate
A drunken Russian sea captain twice crashed his 30,000 tonne ship at a busy British port before asking police if he could 'have another go?'
Viatcheslav Poleshchuk, 44, hit the Goole port lock gates once manoeuvring the RMS Bell having downed a bottle of vodka.
He ignored warnings and was described as 'all over the place' as he managed to do it a second time.
Unsteady on his feet, he steered a collision course with his 328ft long ship loaded with scrap aluminum.
Poleshchuk was more than four-times over the drink drive limit. He had 157 milligrams of alcohol in blood when the legal limit is 35.
When he was quizzed by police about his mayhem he drunkenly replied: 'Can I have another go?'
Poleshchuck of Rostov, Russia, pleaded guilty to a charge of being over the prescribed alcohol limit for a ship’s master at Hull Crown Court.
Paul Norton, mitigating, said Poleshchuk had been drinking 12 hours before the September 12 incident, because he thought he didn't have to sail until later.
But his departure time was unexpectedly brought forward to just after midday.
A Goole-dock boat handler spotted Poleshchuk as he tried to manouvere the ship, and became worried when he noticed the captain's eyes were glazed and he smelt of booze.
He admitted he had drunk a bottle of vodka before taking the helm but later changed it to five or six pints.
Judge Michael Mettyear told the Russian: 'It is outrageous to be in charge of a great big vessel like this while over the drink limit. It is monstrous.'
John Thackray, prosecuting, said Poleshchuk was being assisted but did not want to know.
'It was a tight fit,' Mr Thackray said. 'The captain's eyes were glazed. He was described as being 'all over the place'.
'(A boat handler) tried to assist. But Poleshchuk would not let him. He ignored him. Eventually the ship was towed into position.'
The court heard it was not unusual for ships to hit the lock gates, but it was rare to ram them with such brute force.
Mr Norton said ship's captains were seldom put behind bars for collisions, unless lives were put at risk.
He said a skipper who had been drinking had grounded a ship at Stornaway and another drunken captain had crashed in to a rig off the Lincolnshire coast, had both been sentenced to 12 months jail because the crashes resulted in sea rescues.
But he said the crew in Goole was not put in such danger.
'He has lost his master’s certificate and has a wife and two children,' Mr Norton said.
'The ship's agents have washed their hands of him. He has remained in Goole staying in a hotel awaiting his fate.'
He added that Poleshchuk's family had £5,000 and they could wire to the UK if the court was thinking of a fine.
Judge Mettyear said: 'My instinct is a custodial sentence, but not a long one. I don’t want him thinking he can buy his way out of this.'
Poleshchuk has was remanded in custody until sentencing next week.
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