Royal Navy Officer Convicted of Negligent Watchkeeping

A Royal Navy officer has been convicted of negligent performance of duty for leaving a trainee officer alone in charge of a £143 million frigate during a night watch. Lieutenant Samuel Hanney was found guilty at Bulford Military Court for the incident that occurred on April 3, 2025.

Lt. Hanney, the officer of the watch aboard HMS Sutherland, left Lieutenant Thomas McNally, an unqualified trainee, as the sole person monitoring the ship. The vessel, a Type 23 anti-submarine frigate, was at sea traveling from Plymouth to Lyme Bay off the south coast of England.

During the early morning watch, Lt. Hanney moved behind a curtain to use a computer for producing meteorological charts, a task prosecutors argued kept him away from his primary duty of ensuring the ship's safety. While Lt. Hanney claimed he was away for 14 minutes, computer logs indicated his session lasted between 04:09 a.m. and 04:30 a.m., a period the prosecution deemed too long.

Lt. McNally, who had completed only 100 of the 600 hours required for qualification, reported that he was left alone and felt "very scared." He stated that he "froze" and realized "no one was looking out the window." He later reported the issue, which was escalated to the ship's captain.

Commander Thomas Boeckx, a fleet navigating officer, testified that officers should typically be away from the bridge for no more than two to three minutes, with a maximum of five minutes. He stated that if Lt. Hanney's absence was intentional, it would be considered negligence, and if unintentional, professional incompetence.

Lt. Hanney's sentencing is scheduled for a later date. The incident occurred while HMS Sutherland was supporting operations to intercept a Russian vessel off the British coast.