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Police alarm at 'routine' binge-drinking on nuclear submarine where murdered shot officer
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".
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Cdr Breckenbridge told the inquest that he had no concerns about Donovan before the shootings Photo: PA
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By Telegraph reporters
3:23PM GMT 09 Jan 2013
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.
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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.
"It was normal practice for the crew of the boat to drink heavily while on shore leave, consuming alcohol over an extended period until they passed out and then returned to duty after five or six hours," he told the hearing.
The Royal Navy has since tightened its rules on alcohol consumption before duty.
At the time sailors were allowed 10 units in the previous 24 hours with no alcohol in the 10 hours before duty, which has now been changed to five units.
Mr Wilkinson asked the nuclear-powered sub's captain at the time, Commander Iain Breckenbridge, whether he had any concerns about his crew drinking ashore during the goodwill visit to Southampton in April 2011 when the killing and the shooting of another officer took place.
He told the inquest that he had been told of no concerns about the crew and he had no concerns about Donovan before the shootings and he was "surprised" to hear of the police's fears of binge drinking by the crew.
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Ryan Donovan (pictured) shot Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux aboard the submarine HMS Astute, while moored in Southampton Docks
But when asked if tighter controls should be put in place to check such as breathalysing crew, Cdr Breckenbridge said: "to minimise the chances of a similar event, it's something that should be seriously considered but that's for the policy makers."
Donovan, 23, was jailed for 25 years for the murder of Lt Cdr Molyneux and the attempted murder of three others. He was tackled and disarmed after opening fire with an
SA80 rifle while the sub was docked in Southampton on April 8 this year.
He also admitted the attempted murders of Petty Officer Christopher Brown, 36, Chief Petty Officer David McCoy, 37, and Lieutenant Commander Christopher Hodge, 45, during a goodwill visit to the city.
Donovan fired the SA80 six times in the control room of the sub, aiming at the four named victims and killing Weapons Engineer Officer Lt Cdr Molyneux.
It is believed Donovan was on sentry duty and the shooting happened during a weapons changeover between shifts.
Lt Cdr Hodge was also shot in the incident but he survived his injuries.
The shootings took place as local dignitaries, including the city council's mayor, chief executive and leader Royston Smith, were being given a tour of the submarine while it was berthed at the Eastern Docks on a five-day official visit to the Hampshire city.
Mr Smith wrestled Donovan to the ground soon after he started firing at around noon.
The court was told Donovan had been resentful after he had been told he would not be attached to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Cardigan Bay because he had disobeyed orders to clean part of the submarine.
