Oh dear...
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/h...re/6379683.stm

Oh dear.:=

Where can we get the CCTV footage.....:O

I believe m'lud, my client was just being female, tired and emotional...... otherwise she'd have scratched her eyes out.... ;)

"Lt Frith, Morton and Petty Officer Dryhurst went out together in Yeovil town centre.All three were staying at Petty Officer Dryhurst's house in the local area, the court martial heard."

Well is it any f***ing wonder then?

It amazes me sometimes that some people have the cheek to call themselves officers....

Wannabe
What's your point?

That Lt Frith should have known better than to get so wobbly that she forgot why she gets to call herself Lieutenant. 40 odd grand a year should get the taxpayer some OLQs.

Ah I see. I thought you were going down the route of 3 girlies getting emotional before they could have a pajama party. :}

I'm up for as much fun as the next guy, but you do wonder what was going through Lt Frith's mind as this developed. Did she not realise that this had all the makings of a monumental SNAFU. Did she not listen to anything at BRNC?

I expect she's already had the my office, your hat, no hot beverages interview - bet it was quite something. I'd imagine her boss didn't get off too lightly either.

They probably had the decorators in. :}

Wanabee, I find your inference that Officers should know better and not mix with ratings for a couple of beer's offensive. Are you saying that this event would not have happened if they were all BRNC bred - - jeez, I thought that we lost that attitude several decades ago. Obviously not!:*

Mr AEO
I do not see how you can interpret Wanabee's thread as objecting to officers having a couple of beers with ratings. How about officers shacking up with ratings, getting p*ssed out of their minds with said ratings and subsequently indulging in a very public physical punch-up with said ratings and being arrested by the fuzz.

Is that how officers are expected to behave wherever you come from? Unfortunately in Blair's Britain this sort of behaviour seems to have become part of the job description.

Sorry AEO, I may just be a grumpy old crab but I'm with Clockwork Mouse on this one...

..... there's a world of difference between "a couple of beers with ratings (aimen/ORs)" and what happened here ....

..... and then there's the position of PO Dryhurst (m or f incidentally?).

Aren't SNCOs supposed to look after the ruperts and the blighters, not accommodate them and facilitate their public punchups...?

And of course our previous SofS' words come to mind ......

hmm.
 

gents - going out for a few with members of your division alongside is one thing. crashing over at the house of someone you work with (and may be the DO of) in a seagoing appointment is quite another. i have to say that although no one here is in full possession of the facts, the Lt in question put the junior/snr rates she was spending her time with so closely in a bad position which was unfortunately only likely to turn out one way. badly.

unfortunate indeed, for all concerned. have a drink with your people - then thin out and let them get on with it.

Mr-AEO - do you seriously think this took place after just a couple of pints?:

"All three were staying at Petty Officer Dryhurst's house in the local area, the court martial heard.

"They had stayed there the previous night as well," Lt Commander Weare added.

"The group arrived in Yeovil at around 1500 GMT and visited a number of public houses through the day consuming a large amount of alcohol in the process. "

Read and weep - it really was an accident waiting to happen.

Bit of a grey area that one, I would argue that if said Rupert is a pretty decent boss, then yes, rule above applies..

However..

If Lt Boss is female, and possibly might look good having it up the ronson in full webbing in ones bedroom, then perhaps accomodate and facilitate springs to mind.. couple this with perhaps a female J/R and the possibilities are endless... at the very least I might have lobbed some baby oil on the pair of them and pulled up a ringside seat :}

Exactly so PPS :E

but does anyone know the answer to:

It's a first! People are sticking up for me!
Well Mr AEO - perhaps you are indeed behind the curve on this one? There is nothing wrong with relaxing with your division etc. In my experience over quite a few years at sea, familiarity CAN, and very often does, breed contempt - it depends on the people. And officers should be able to interpret the situation accordingly. That is supposed to be what sets them apart (note I am not saying 'better'). You may disagree, but it is indisputable.
When it goes wrong, it can go wrong badly and make your position totally untenable - I've seen it happen to others enough times and it usually results in embarrassing scandals, massive loss of credibility and/or a sacking. I appreciate that standards might not be quite so high in the AEO world! :ouch:
I've been out for more than a few beers with many senior rates and thoroughly enjoyed it. But I went home when I knew my time was up. It might seem old fashioned and I suspect AEO would look at me with disbelief, but when you go out in a group from work in the forces, you still wear your rank/rate whatever it may be.

Mr Teeteringhead,

F is the answer to your question, I do believe. But what one might say "Of footwear that does not cause offence to one's feet."

;)

Where do we start? With the obvious alcohol factor - all day drinking sessions are a recipe for disaster, no matter who is involved. All of them are in positions of responsibility, and are paid as such, so at least one of them should have realised that it was going South at some point. I would have expected better of the officer, but it can't all be laid at her door - the killick must accept her share of the blame for being involved in the situation. The only one that seems to be outside the punishment envelope is the PO, but legally that cannot stay that way - failing to exercise proper control should be a laid charge. In fact, the PO should take a fair whack of the responsibility. The obvious solution would have been to recommend that the officer gets in a taxi and returns to the nearest establishment, and the killick is accompanied in a taxi (a different one) to the same establishment - the whole situation should then have been handed across to the OOD. If they were not near an establishment (one that wasn't serving Aftershock, obviously), then the PO should have gripped them both and explained that this was not conduct becoming, and they should sort it out.

The charge only appears to be fighting, not drunkeness, and if there is CCTV then they are both stuffed, as it were.

The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing, of course!

PS - what about the catch-all Section 39 charge for the PO? (Section 69 in the ADA and AFA).

The charge should be there, unless the PO has already been tried summarily by the CO on a lesser charge (I assume the PO was not doing Jackie Chan impersonations). The charge should be failing to carry out the duties of a Senior Rate (the ones that were on the back of her promotion certificate, in case she was unsure) - despite there being an hofficer there, as the hofficer in question was clearly incapable of carrying her handbag, let alone her rank. The PO should be disrated, although I suspect this didn't happen, and is more likely to be a fine and a period of unofficial monitoring.

Sordid little situation that should have been kicked into touch when you consider the seniorities involved. Then again, scrub that, as we all know of situations like this which have not been CCTV-monitored, and have never made it past the unofficial divisional chat the next morning, which involve ranks of all seniorities!