Published at 12:50, Monday, 07 January 2013

NAVY bosses were unaware of the cocktail of drinks in Able Seaman Ryan Donovan’s system when he was handed a loaded gun for sentry duty, an inquest heard.

In the 48 hours leading up to his shift on board Barrow-built nuclear submarine HMS Astute, jurors heard the sailor had binged on more than 20 pints of lager and cider, four mojito cocktails, at least two bottles of beer, three double vodka and cokes and another unidentified pint of alcohol.

Just moments after being trusted with the deadly rifle, the gunman embarked on a murderous rampage that resulted in the death of Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux.

Southampton Coroner’s Court heard how Donovan’s two-day drinking binge would have left him almost twice the legal drink drive limit at the time of the fatal shooting. Dr Paul Williams said based on “conservative estimates” of what Donovan had drunk during the two-day period, he would have had 139mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood at the time Lt Cdr Molyneux was shot dead. The legal limit is 80mg.

But Dr Williams said: “In reality, it’s probably even higher than that.”

Dr Williams, who is an expert in the science related to alcohol consumption, explained how Donovan’s alcohol binge had started at 3pm on April 6, 2011, drinking two cans of John Smith’s ale, seven pints of cider and two pints of lager before 11pm.

He then visited two Southampton nightspots, when he consumed an “unknown amount of alcohol”, before returning to his city hotel in the early hours of April 7.

But the inquest heard how Donovan continued to drink from 9.30am, before attending a Royal Navy function at the Red Lion pub, from 7pm.

He returned to his hotel at 4.13am on April 8, when he had to be helped to his hotel room by a colleague, Able Seaman Joe Cockerill.

The hearing at Southampton Civic Centre also heard from forensic toxicologist Julie Evans, who revealed that traces of cocaine and codeine had been found in strands of Donovan’s hair.

Earlier in the day, coroner Keith Wiseman heard from a colleague of Donovan, Leading Chef Steven Bailey, who claimed the gunman was “still drunk” when he saw him at 10am on the day of the shooting – just two hours before he was due to report for duty.

He added he believed Donovan “wasn’t fit for armed duty” that day and assumed someone assessing him before handing him the weapon would have felt the same.

The inquest continues.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk