nuclear-news

Alcoholism among nuclear submarine staff led to murder

Police alarm at ‘routine’ binge-drinking on nuclear submarine where
murdered shot officer, Telegraph, 9 Jan 13
Police investigating a naval rating who shot dead an officer onboard a
submarine found the 20 pints he consumed beforehand was not unsual and
“significant” numbers of the crew used to get “drunk out of their
minds”.
Senior police officers were so alarmed that the chief constable was
told and he contacted military authorities, an inquest heard today.
Detective Superintendent Tony Harris interviewed the crew aboard HMS
Astute following the shooting of Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux by
Able Seaman Ryan Donovan, who was 76% above the drink-drive limit.
The hearing in Southampton was told the officer was “highly alarmed”
by the crew’s alcohol consumption and he wrote to Hampshire chief
constable Alex Marshall with his concerns. His boss then contacted
Brigadier Neil Baverstock.
After talking to the crew, detectives concluded that Donovan’s drink
intake was not out of the ordinary.
The hearing has previously heard he had drunk 20 pints of cider and
lager, cocktails and double vodkas in the 48 hours before he was put
on a guard duty with a gun.
Richard Wilkinson, counsel for Lt Cdr Molyneux’s family told the
hearing that police found “significant” numbers of the crew were
involved on getting “drunk out of their minds”.
“Detective superintendent Tony Harris was highly alarmed at the
alcohol consumption of the Astute’s crew and he took the unprecedented
action of writing to the chief constable……
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9791024/Police-alarm-at-routine-binge-drinking-on-nuclear-submarine-where-murdered-shot-officer.html

January 10, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK