Catch 22 of drunken sailor who cannot return to the UK for sentencing because he has a conviction

Ukrainian sailor, Valeriy Velychko has pleaded guilty to being drunk in charge of a ship - Evening Gazette
Ukrainian sailor, Valeriy Velychko has pleaded guilty to being drunk in charge of a ship - Evening Gazette

A sailor who was facing up to two years in jail for being drunk in command of a supertanker has been unable to be sentenced because immigration officials will not let him back into the country due to his conviction.

Ukrainian, Valeriy Velychko, admitted being six times over the legal limit for alcohol when he appeared at Teesside magistrates' court in the summer.

He also pleaded guilty to obstructing a police officer who was trying to remove him from the gigantic 23,600 tonne tanker Kohl 1 at Teesport in July.

But the 53-year-old tanker captain was given bail by magistrates and allowed to return home with his lawyers assuring the bench he would come back to Britain for his sentencing hearing.

However, on the two occasions he tried to re-enter the UK,  to attend court, he was turned back by immigration officials because of his criminal record.

At a hearing at Teesside Crown Court, his lawyer explained how on the last occasion, on September 25th, Velychko got as far as Gatwick Airport, where he was detained by British immigration officials.

Despite protesting that he was trying to get to court to be sentenced for a criminal offence, he was placed back on the next available flight to the Ukraine.

The court heard how Velychko has now been left to apply for a visa in order to return to the UK,  in the knowledge that doing so could result in him going to jail.

Michele Turner, representing the ship’s captain, said: "He is applying for a UK Visa and has kept us updated, as I understand it, he is waiting. [for a decision]

"It is right to say that when the matter came to the court on September 25th he got as far as the airport."

Judge Ashurst stood the case down until December 6th for a further progress update but appeared to accept it may not be possible to conclude matters against Velychko.

Valeriy Velychko was at the helm of the Kohl 1 tanker
Valeriy Velychko was at the helm of the Kohl 1 tanker

He told Ms Turner: "If you have information that helps to decide whether this case can be effective I know it will be passed on."

At a previous hearing Ms Turner said: "He was under the misapprehension that our letter stating he had to come to court would be enough to get him into the country. But sadly not. He's cooperated up to now."

Magistrates previously heard how Velychko was drunk in charge of the tanker, which is the size of two football pitches, as it headed out to sea.

He also got into a skirmish with a police officer who had been called to deal with an incident on board the ship at Teesport, Middlesbrough.

The enormous vessel was due to negotiate its way out of the port and set sail for Finland when Velychko was arrested, spending the weekend sobering up in police cells.

He appeared before Teesside magistrates in July and through an interpreter he admitted being drunk while operating a ship, and obstructing a police officer in the execution of their duty.

At the original hearing Paul Doney, prosecuting, said Velychko was found with 138mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath - more than six times the limit of 25mcg for being in charge of a ship.

He was granted bail after the magistrates were told the ship could have stuck at Teesport until his eventual release.

His lawyer explained: "There is a ship in Tees dock that cannot move without him, because he is the shipmaster. He is a well-paid professional master of a ship. He will return to court, as it is not desirable for a man in his position not to.

"We have his telephone number and we can contact him like any other of our clients."

As he was released from custody, Velychko was warned by magistrates that he would be committing a further offence should he not return to England to face sentence at court.

The Kohl 1, which flies the flag of Panama and is 174m (570ft) long, is continuing to sail the world under a different skipper.