Court martial told respect essential

RESPECT FOR rank is essential to maintain the discipline of military life, the board at a court marital was told yesterday.

Summing up for the prosecution in a case in which an Air Corps commandant was accused of calling a lieutenant colonel a “little prick”, military prosecutor Lieut Col Jerry Lane said the remark was insulting and was intended to detract from the respect due to a superior officer.

The prosecution had alleged Comdt Niall Donohoe had made the remark to Lieut Col Gerard O’Sullivan in his office at Baldonnel airport after reading a negative appraisal from Lieut Col O’Sullivan.

Comdt Donohoe had maintained when he read the negative appraisal that he said “this is very prickly” and not “you’re a little prick”.

The court martial had also heard there was some history between the two men involving a medical note addressed to Comdt Donohoe which Lieut Col O’Sullivan had sought to acquire.

Yesterday, Lieut Col Lane said the incident involving the letter was not significant. There were only three witnesses in the case whose evidence was relevant; Lieut Col O’Sullivan, Comdt Donohoe and Comdt Gary Gartland, he said. Comdt Gartland had been called into the office after the alleged verbal incident occurred. He had stated Comdt Donohoe had said he did not remember what he’d remarked and when it was put to him, had denied it.

Defence witnesses who had said they would not believe Lieut Col O’Sullivan’s evidence under oath all “had an axe to grind”, Lieut Col Lane said. Respect for rank was essential to maintain the discipline of military life, he said.

Fergal Kavanagh SC, defending, told the board of five men and one woman they had to be satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt Comdt Donohoe had said the alleged words. “You need not fear anyone is going to criticise you in the event of an acquittal,” he said.

He suggested Lieut Col O’Sullivan might have misheard what had been said “and because of his personality jumped to the conclusion it was an insulting remark”. He said respect ran two ways, both up and down the ranks.

He reminded the board they had an onerous responsibility. “You know what the consequences are to a career,” he said.

The case resumes today.