Submarine shooting sailor pleads guilty to murder of fellow officer

Able Seaman Ryan Samuel Donovan admits killing Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux aboard HMS Astute A Royal Navy sailor has pleaded guilty to shooting dead an officer and the attempted murder of three other crew onboard the nuclear submarine HMS Astute. Able Seaman Ryan Samuel Donovan, 23, of Dartford, Kent, admitted shooting Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux, 36, with an SA80 rifle while the sub was docked in Southampton on 8 April 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 Molyneux. It is believed Donovan was on sentry duty and the shooting happened during a weapons changeover between shifts. 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. Smith wrestled Donovan to the ground soon after he started firing at around noon. Describing his dramatic involvement, he told the BBC: “Two shots were fired, straight after he entered the control room again and began shooting again. “I ran towards him, I pushed him against the wall, we wrestled to take the gun from him. “He fired again, I wrestled again to get the weapon from him. I pushed him to another wall, I wrestled him to the ground and managed to take the weapon away from him then others came to help to restrain him.” Molyneux’s widow, Gillian, described the father-of-four, from Wigan, as “utterly devoted to his family”. She added: “Everything he did was for us. He was very proud to be an officer in the Royal Navy submarine service.” Military Crime guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 19, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.