| Submit your comments on this article |
| Britain |
| Guilty verdicts all around for crew who grounded HMS Superb |
| 2010-01-24 |
| A SUBMARINE commander and two of his officers pleaded guilty at a court martial hearing after being charged in connection with the grounding of their vessel. Commander Steven Drysdale, Lieutenant Commander Andrew Cutler and Lieutenant Lee Blair all admitted an offence of neglecting to perform their duty. The charge relates to the grounding of the nuclear-powered submarine HMS Superb on May 26 2008. After her grounding Superb returned to Devonport where she was decommissioned. Drysdale pleaded guilty to "failing to ensure the safe direction" of the submarine while Cutler pleaded guilty to "failing to supervise the plot officer adequately". Blair pleaded guilty to "failing to take into account all the dangers in or near the planned movements of HMS Superb". The case at the HMS Nelson court martial centre at Portsmouth Naval Base was adjourned by Judge Jeff Blackett for a sentencing hearing to be held on a date between March 8 and 19. HMS Superb grounded in the Red Sea damaging to the bow and its sonar equipment causing it to have difficulty diving. The submarine, which came into service in 1976, was decommissioned in September 2008 although the MoD said the accident had not led to the submarine being taken out of service earlier than already planned. |
| Posted by:gromky |