NAVAL COURT-MARTIAL.
CHIEF PETTY OFFICER. WHISKY AT NAVAL BASE. A CHARGE OF SMUGGLING. DISRATED TO LEADING SEAMAN. H.M.S. Philomel, training ship of the New Zealand naval station, was given additional status yesterday as tho venue of a naval court-martial for the trial of a chief petty officer on charges of breaches of tho Naval Discipline Act. With the hoisting of tho colours at 8 o clock the saluto of one gun that announces the impending sitting of a court-martial was fiied. When the court assembled the court-martial jack was hoisted at the gaff, where it remained until tho court dissolved. Tho accused was Chief Petty Officer Robert Lindsay Parker, of H.M.S. Diomede, and he was charged with smuggling whisky into tho naval base on December 29. Alternative charges were of being in possession of smuggled whisky, and of failing to prevent the whisky from being stowed in an improper place, namely, the boatswain's ready use store on tho Diomede, a store for which he was personally responsible. Captain C. N. Reyne, Second Naval Member, presided, the other members of tho court being Commander F. N. Attwood, of H.M.S. Laburnum; Commander G. W. T. Robertson, of H.M.S. Veronica; Commander N. Clover, of H.M.S. Philomel ; and Commander H. L. Morgan, D.5.0., of H.M.S. Dunedin. Captain L. V Wells, D.5.0., of the Diomede, prosecuted, and Lieutenant-Commander B. M. Douglas appeared as the prisoner's friend. Mr. I. J. Goldstine defended. Pay-Com-mander E. N. R. Fletcher, M.8.E., was deputy-judge-advocate. Six witnesses were called for the prosecution. A general denial was made on behalf of prisoner, tho evidence of two petty-officers being heard on his behalf. Parker was found guilty on the major charge of smuggling the whisky into the base, and the alternative charges were therefore dropped. The sentence of the court was that he should bo disrated to the rating of leading seaman and be deprived of two good conduct badges. Unlike courts-martial in the Army, the fact that ho was found guilty was conveyed to tho accused immediately, and he was also acquainted with the sentence. In the Army, tho accused deduces from the action of the court in calling or abstaining from asking for evidence of character whether he has been held guilty or not, and the sentence is kept confidential until it is confirmed by the officer who convenes the court-martial.
NAVAL COURT-MARTIAL.
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20152, 12 January 1929, Page 10
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