Lee Joon-seok, captain of the sunken Sewol ferry, arriving at a court in Gwangju, South Korea, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

The captain of a South Korean ferry that capsized in April killing 304 passengers was jailed for 36 years yesterday after a court found him guilty of negligence, but was acquitted of homicide.

The prosecution had sought the death penalty for the captain of Sewol, Lee Joon-seok, who is in his late 60s and instead faces the rest of his life in prison.

The court convicted the ship’s chief engineer of homicide for not aiding two injured crew members, making him the only one of four facing homicide charges to be found guilty on that count, and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.

The remaining 13 surviving crew members of the ferry Sewol were found guilty of various charges, including negligence, and handed down prison terms ranging from five to 20 years.

Cries and shouts of anger and disbelief erupted in the packed courtroom in the southern city of Gwangju as the verdict and sentences were read. “Judge, this is not right,” a woman screamed in anguish as some of the other family members broke down in tears.

Video footage of the crew abandoning the vessel after instructing the passengers, mostly teenagers, to remain in their cabins had caused outrage and calls for harsh punishment. A prosecutor involved in the case said his team would appeal against the decision on all 15 crew members, calling the rulings “disappointing”, particularly the not guilty verdict against three senior officers including the captain on homicide charges.

Lee, the captain, has apologised to the families of the victims and said he never intended to harm anyone. He pleaded to be spared of the homicide charge, saying he did not want his children to live with a killer as their father.

Executives of the ferry operator and shipping regulators are on trial on various charges of negligence.

The man considered the head of the business empire that owned the ferry company was found dead in June, amid the country’s largest manhunt to capture him to try to hold him accountable for mismanagement that many feel led to the ferry disaster.