Royal Navy Officer Convicted of Negligently Abandoning Watch on Frigate

A high-ranking Royal Navy officer has been convicted of abandoning his post on the £143 million frigate HMS Sutherland, leaving a trainee officer alone on watch. Lieutenant Samuel Hanney was found guilty at Bulford Military Court of negligent performance of a duty for the incident that occurred on April 3, 2025.

According to the prosecution, Lt. Hanney, who was the officer of the watch, "negligently" left an unqualified trainee, Lieutenant Thomas McNally, as the sole person responsible for monitoring the ship. HMS Sutherland is a Type 23 anti-submarine frigate used to support operations intercepting Russian vessels.

The court heard that during the early hours of the morning watch, Lt. Hanney left his position on the bridge and went behind a curtain to work on a computer. While Lt. Hanney claimed he was away for only 14 minutes, computer logs indicated his session lasted between 04:09 a.m. and 04:30 a.m. Prosecutor Lieutenant Commander Luis Canosa argued that whether it was 14 or 21 minutes, it was too long for an officer of the watch to be absent from his duties.

During Lt. Hanney's absence, Lt. McNally, who had completed only 100 of the 600 required hours for qualification and was technically shadowing, reported feeling "scared" and "froze" when he realized he was alone. He later stated he should have been more confident and asked Lt. Hanney to return to the lookout.

Commander Thomas Boeckx, a fleet navigating officer, testified that officers should only be away from the bridge for a maximum of two to five minutes. He described an absence of 14 minutes, if unintentional, as "professional incompetence" and, if deliberate, as "negligence."

Lt. Hanney was responsible for ensuring the safety of the ship and maintaining a proper lookout. The prosecution stated he failed to supervise the second officer of the watch and oversee the bridge team effectively. Lt. Hanney will be sentenced at a later date.