Tom Nicholson, a 38-year-old fishing boat captain from Annan, has been ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work after treating five migrant crew members 'like slaves' aboard his scallop dredger, The Sea Lady. The offences occurred between July and December 2017 while Nicholson worked for Kirkcudbright-based TN Trawlers, a family-owned fishing company.
Appalling working conditions
At Hamilton Sheriff Court, Nicholson admitted a charge under maritime legislation. The court heard that he imposed 'arduous' working conditions, forcing the men to work round-the-clock shifts without adequate rest periods during prolonged periods at sea. He also restricted access to food and refused to provide proper training or safety instructions.
One sailor from Ghana told the court that the crew were expected to work non-stop without breaks. Another said they were not given enough food and had to resort to eating octopus or fish caught in the ship's nets. When one crew member confronted Nicholson about the conditions, Nicholson told him he was 'a slave'.
Court outcome
In addition to the 300 hours of unpaid work, Nicholson was made subject to a restriction of liberty order for 12 months. Prosecutor Sineidin Corrins of COPFS said: 'These men showed commendable courage in coming forward to provide difficult testimony in court. Their accounts detailed the harrowing and completely unacceptable conditions they were forced to endure under the captaincy of Tom Nicholson.'
Corrins added: 'They suffered significant trauma while he was in charge of the vessel and responsible for their well-being and safety. Tom Nicholson has now been brought to account by the court for his offending conduct.'
