British nuclear submarine gunman sentenced to life in prison
71 replies, posted
• The Royal Navy serviceman who went rampant on-board HMS Astute on 8 April and shot dead a senior officer has been jailed for life.
• Ryan Samuel Donovan admitted the murder, as well as two other counts of attempted murder.
• Donovan fired 6 shots from an SA80 rifle, one of which hit Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux in the head, killing him, and another of which hit Lt Cdr Christopher Hodge in the body, seriously injuring him.
• He was stopped only when Southampton City Council leader Royston Smith, who was touring the vessel, wrestled him to the ground and disarmed him.
• His motives are unclear; in 2010 he told a colleague that he was trying to "create a massacre in the control" and that he was "going to kill somebody."
• He was resentful after being 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; this may have been the catalyst for the attack.
[img]http://imgkk.com/i/l9hx.jpg[/img] [img]http://imgkk.com/i/ulpj.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14971198[/url]
[quote=BBC News][b]A Royal Navy serviceman who shot dead a senior officer on board a nuclear submarine has been jailed for life.[/b]
Able Seaman Ryan Samuel Donovan, admitted murdering Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux, 36, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, on board the nuclear submarine HMS Astute.
He also injured a second crewman, Lt Cdr Christopher Hodge, while the sub was docked in Southampton on 8 April.
Donovan, 22, of Dartford, Kent, was told he must serve at least 25 years by the judge at Winchester Crown Court.
Donovan, of Hillside Road, also admitted the attempted murders of Lt Cdr Hodge, 45, Petty Officer Christopher Brown, 36, and Chief Petty Officer David McCoy, 37.
Donovan fired six shots from an SA80 rifle in the control room as local dignitaries, including Southampton City Council's mayor, chief executive and leader, were being given a tour of HMS Astute, the court heard.
[b]'Murderous onslaught'[/b]
The sailor could have killed more people if city council leader Royston Smith had not wrestled him to the ground and disarmed him, the court was told.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Field told Donovan: "In killing that officer, you robbed him of a bright future within a loving family.
"Your murderous onslaught was only brought to an end by the intervention of two civilians.
"There is no doubt their intervention prevented further deaths and serious injury," he added.
Prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC said Donovan fired four shots at the two petty officers but they were not hit.
"Lt Cdr Molyneux reacted to the noise of the shots. As he turned to tackle the defendant he was shot in the head at very close range and died instantly," Mr Lickley said.
"That was shot five. The defendant stepped over the body of Lt Cdr Molyneux and continued his progress towards the control room."
Donovan entered the control room where Lt Cdr Hodge was shot through the body and seriously injured, the court heard.
He was then wrestled to the ground by the council leader Mr Smith and the council's chief executive Alistair Neill.
[b]'Heartbreaking sadness'[/b]
Mr Lickley said: "There can be no doubt they displayed remarkable courage that day - acting against an armed man.
"We will not know how many more he would have killed if he had not stopped."
Donovan had been resentful after being 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, the jury heard.
But the previous year Donovan had told a colleague he was trying to "create a massacre in the control", the court heard.
He told another crewmate: "I am going to kill somebody", when he returned to the sub after two days of drinking in Southampton, the court was told.
At 03:00 BST on 8 April, Donovan passed a sobriety test, which involved an officer smelling his breath, when he woke up for his guard duty, despite having been drinking before his shift.
He was then assigned a gun.
Lt Cdr Molyneux's widow Gillian described her husband as "utterly devoted" to his four children.
She said after the case: "There is no pleasure or relief for me today - only the ongoing, heartbreaking sadness for the loss of Ian.
"I find huge comfort in the abundance of love and support I have received from my family, many friends, Ian's colleagues in the Royal Navy.
"I will now try to rebuild my life with my gorgeous children and the eternal memory of Ian - my hero and true love."
The submarine was berthed at the Eastern Docks on a five-day official visit and had been just been visited by a school group shortly before the shooting.
The 97m (318ft)-long craft is the UK's newest nuclear-powered attack submarine and joined the Royal Navy fleet in August 2010.[/quote]
Looks like a fucking dropout, stupid reason to kill someone "LOL I DISOBEYED ORDERS TIME TO KILL!!!1!"
Glad he got life in prison, condolences to the victim's family.
Forgot about this story. Guy deserves it.
Doesn't the UK have a death penalty, because I'd rather shoot the fucker then let him leech off of the State the rest of his life.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379012]Doesn't the UK have a death penalty, because I'd rather shoot the fucker then let him leech off of the State the rest of his life.[/QUOTE]
No we do not.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379012]Doesn't the UK have a death penalty, because I'd rather shoot the fucker then let him leech off of the State the rest of his life.[/QUOTE]
No, we don't, and general public opinion wants it to stay that way. We believe in reform as opposed to retribution, in general.
[QUOTE=Sc00by22;32379046]No we do not.[/QUOTE]
Shame.
[editline]19th September 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Terminutter;32379053]No, we don't, and general public opinion wants it to stay that way. We believe in reform as opposed to retribution, in general.[/QUOTE]
Well that makes sense in certain occasions, but in my opinion you can't reform a murderer, and since that person holds no value for human life, why value his?
[QUOTE=Terminutter;32379053]No, we don't, and general public opinion wants it to stay that way. We believe in reform as opposed to retribution, in general.[/QUOTE]
Reform someone so they can stay in prison for the rest of their life? wHat
[QUOTE=Cool Dog;32379101]Reform someone so they can stay in prison for the rest of their life? wHat[/QUOTE]
Oh shit I just started a debate.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379058]Well that makes sense in certain occasions, but in my opinion you can't reform a murderer, and since to that person holds no value for human life, why value his?[/QUOTE]
Because he has a human right to live, and rights are irrevocable.
Also, the death penalty punishes his family, along with the possibility that it's the wrong person. (no doubt in this case, but exceptions can lead to future problems.)
Not to mention that it's well documented that the death penalty costs more.
Also, life in prison is not always "life" - people are let out after 40 years + in quite a few cases.
[quote]He was stopped only when Southampton City Council leader Royston Smith, who was touring the vessel, wrestled him to the ground and disarmed him.[/quote]
What a hero
[QUOTE=Terminutter;32379130]Because he has a human right to live, and rights are irrevocable.
Also, the death penalty punishes his family, along with the possibility that it's the wrong person. (no doubt in this case, but exceptions can lead to future problems.)[/QUOTE]
Now I'm all for human rights whether people believe that or not, but how I view it is if someone murders another they're taking away all the rights that person has, even life, so why is it not fair to take away the murderers rights, including life? I can understand the whole "proof of evidence" point of the argument, but with more precise ways to prove guilt that fine line in which actual innocent people who are wrongly accused and those who actually committed a crime is thinning. So, I do support the death penalty, but also support the most precise and verifiable ways to prove a person's guilt.
There are things in which reform is best suited, for example thieves and drug users arrested for possession, but certain things can't be faced with a reformist thinking in mind, some things need to be punished out right.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379058]Shame.
[editline]19th September 2011[/editline]
Well that makes sense in certain occasions, but in my opinion you can't reform a murderer, and since that person holds no value for human life, why value his?[/QUOTE]
Your opinion on the matter means absolutely nothing when scientific study says otherwise.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379219]Now I'm all for human rights whether people believe that or not, but how I view it is if someone murders another they're taking away all the rights that person has, even life, so why is it not fair to take away the murderers rights, including life? I can understand the whole "proof of evidence" point of the argument, but with more precise ways to prove guilt that fine line in which actual innocent people who are wrongly accused and those who actually committed a crime is thinning. So, I do support the death penalty, but also support the most precise and verifiable ways to prove a person's guilt.
There are things in which reform is best suited, for example thieves and drug users arrested for possession, but certain things can't be faced with a reformist thinking in mind, some things need to be punished out right.[/QUOTE]
So you don't see human rights as rights, but as priviliges?
That's the issue - if a right can be removed, it's not a right.
You seem to know why you support the death penalty, and I can see your point, so I'll just agree to disagree.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;32379291]Your opinion on the matter means absolutely nothing when scientific study says otherwise.[/QUOTE]
Just because scientists say it still doesn't make it more than an enlightened opinion.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379338]Just because scientists say it still doesn't make it more than an enlightened opinion.[/QUOTE]
You're right it doesn't make it an enlightened opinion, it makes it a fact.
so because he didn't want to clean the sub, he killed someone?
I would've gladly cleaned the sub, I'm sure its not THAT bad.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;32379402]You're right it doesn't make it an enlightened opinion, it makes it a fact.[/QUOTE]
Oh wow.
Question time, know what a theory is?
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379468]Oh wow.
Question time, know what a theory is?[/QUOTE]
Except for the fact that it has been proven that you can rehabilitate murderers.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379468]Oh wow.
Question time, know what a theory is?[/QUOTE]
There's a difference between a study and a theory.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;32379488]Except for the fact that it has been proven that you can rehabilitate murderers.[/QUOTE]
You can, but again that is the opinion of a scientific panel in charge of a study. Just because they say something still doesn't make it fact, a fact is something that can be proven by hard evidence no matter what, whereas they rehabilitated some murderers, not every single murderer in the world so can they say that they can rehabilitate all murderers, or that it's just possible?
And to answer my own question, a theory is nothing more than an educated guess backed up with scientific observation. The only reason we support Einsteins theory of relativity is because it's the best equation to understand the universe, if someone made a better equation Einstein's would be out the door, and you'd hear a completely new scientific [b]opinion[/b].
[editline]19th September 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Jsm;32379503]There's a difference between a study and a theory.[/QUOTE]
There is but it's still opinionated.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379468]Oh wow.
Question time, know what a theory is?[/QUOTE]
Fun fact: After you murder someone, no matter the intent, your most likely going to feel super guilty like most people do (Human nature, react in pure rage, later feel shitty for it). Most people also can be fixed. Furthermore, the Death penalty is [B]very[/B] expensive, therefore a waste of money when you'd be better off trying to fix the person.
[editline]19th September 2011[/editline]
All in all, DP is a waste of money
[QUOTE=J!NX;32379619]Fun fact: After you murder someone, no matter the intent, your most likely going to feel super guilty like most people do (Human nature, react in pure rage, later feel shitty for it). Most people also can be fixed. Furthermore, the Death penalty is [B]very[/B] expensive, therefore a waste of money when you'd be better off trying to fix the person.[/QUOTE]
That is a factor, indeed. And the only reason the death penalty in the US is so high is because we just keep holding onto them when we should be putting them to their penalty.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379672]That is a factor, indeed. And the only reason the death penalty in the US is so high is because we just keep holding onto them when we should be putting them to their penalty.[/QUOTE]
Ok
so we should waste money on a bunch of random criminals
[url]http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty[/url]
[QUOTE=J!NX;32379676]Unless theres a TRUE, GENUINE reason. (Lets say Charles Manson escaped, killed a ton of people)[/QUOTE]
In all honesty why is he still alive. Mother fucker think's he's Jesus and has a swastika on his forehead.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379710]In all honesty why is he still alive. Mother fucker think's he's Jesus and has a swastika on his forehead.[/QUOTE]
He didn't actually kill anyone.
He MADE people kill FOR him.
[QUOTE=J!NX;32379727]He didn't actually kill anyone.
He MADE people kill FOR him.[/QUOTE]
Still.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379753]Still.[/QUOTE]
Still what?
He only acts crazy on cam so people avoid him and so he STAYS in jail, he knows what he did.
He's fucking crazy, but not as crazy as people think.
[editline]19th September 2011[/editline]
Doesn't call for damn near a even a million in dollars to be spent killing him.
Just let him rot in jail, its a fate that makes them suffer worse. Knowing this is the rest of their lives, they will never, ever experience anything else but a 'cold hell-hold'.
[QUOTE=J!NX;32379810]Still what?
He only acts crazy on cam so people avoid him and so he STAYS in jail, he knows what he did.
He's fucking crazy, but not as crazy as people think.[/QUOTE]
Well, I'm at least glad kind of that people see my argument, but I still don't endorse the rehabilitation of murderers.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;32379885]Well, I'm at least glad kind of that people see my argument, but I still don't endorse the rehabilitation of murderers.[/QUOTE]
sometimes murder can be easily justified
What about a father that kills a man after he just saw that man rape and murder his daughter? Are we just going to kill him off? or just "Kill him" and thats the end of it, killing the economy with wasted tax money.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.