The captain of stricken Costa Concordia had crashed a luxury liner before while sailing too fast in a German port, according to leaks from an investigation into the disaster published yesterday.

Captain Francesco Schettino “manoeuvred at a speed of 7.7 to 7.9 knots during entry into the port of Warnemunde, causing damage to the Aida Blu cruise ship,” his employer said in a letter published by La Stampa daily.

It referred to an incident in June 2010.

Mr Schettino responded in writing saying: “I did not know the speed limit and have not received notification of an infraction from the relevant authorities.” He said there were “probably other factors” behind the accident.

Mr Schettino has been accused of manslaughter and of abandoning ship before all the passengers were evacuated after the Costa Concordia crashed into the Italian island of Giglio on January 13 with the loss of 32 lives.

At the time of the incident in Germany, he was captain of the Costa Atlantica – another ship from the fleet of Costa Cruises.

Mr Schettino, who has been dubbed Captain Coward by the tabloid press, is one of nine people under investigation for the Costa Concordia disaster including three Costa Crociere executives and five other crew members.Leaked documents published contained claims of a hard-partying atmosphere on board two Costa Cruises ships including the Costa Concordia, with officers seen snorting cocaine and getting drunk on a regular basis.