Sea Smooth shown twice on radar, trial told
Two tracks of the vessel Sea Smooth were picked up on the marine police's radar system seconds before the public ferry was involved in a deadly collision on National Day in 2012, a trial heard yesterday.
Two tracks of the vessel Sea Smooth were picked up on the marine police's radar system seconds before the public ferry was involved in a deadly collision on National Day in 2012, a trial heard yesterday.
The evidence unfolded as barrister Audrey Campbell-Moffat SC, for ferry captain Lai Sai-ming, attacked the accuracy of the data generated by the system.
Campbell-Moffatt was cross-examining police constable Yau Wing-hang, who was testifying against Lai, 56, and Chow Chi-wai, 58, skipper of Hongkong Electric boat Lamma IV. Both Lai and Chow deny multiple manslaughter charges.
The court heard that two tracks of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry Sea Smooth appeared after 20:19.43, while the collision between the two vessels that killed 39 people occurred at about 20:20.17. Before 20:19.43, there was only one track of the Sea Smooth
"[The two tracks] can't both be accurate records of the course … of Sea Smooth," Campbell-Moffat said. Yau, who monitored the digital radar system, said: "I can't explain."
The lawyer suggested several times that the data processing equipment was "malfunctioning" at the time as Sea Smooth could not be in two locations. Yau insisted that it was not malfunctioning.
Also yesterday, Marine Department engineer Yim Kit-ming, a prosecution witness, was asked to explain the mechanics of the department's radar system.
The court heard earlier there were three sources of data - the marine police radar, the Marine Department radar and the automatic identification system (AIS).
Yim said vessel size data shown on radar systems was transmitted from the AIS. The accuracy of the data depended on whether it had been correctly entered into an AIS transponder.
Lai and Chow have each pleaded not guilty to 39 charges of manslaughter and two of endangering the safety of others at sea. The trial continues today.
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