A DRIVER in the Defence Forces has appeared before a military court over his alleged repeated failure to stop a coach to allow troops to go to the toilet.
A summary court martial today heard the incident took place on a trip between Finner Camp in Co Donegal and Dublin six years ago.
The driver eventually pulled in on a hard shoulder and told his passengers that “anyone who needs to p**s and s**t can go there.”
Private Aidan Graham, who is based in the Curragh Camp in Co Kildare, pleaded not guilty to 11 charges contrary to military law at a hearing at the Military Justice Centre in McKee Barracks, Dublin on Monday.
The accused is charged with various breaches of the Defence Act 1954 over his alleged conduct on March 15, 2019 while driving 20 troops back to their base at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines, Dublin from training in Finner Camp, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.
Pte Graham is accused of four counts of disobeying a lawful command of a superior officer including two in relation to refusing to stop the bus at a service station.
Five other charges relate to accusations that Pte Graham used threatening or insulting language or behaving in an insubordinate manner towards his superiors, including remarking to one NCO: “I’m sick of this f***ing s**t, I’m going home. I’ve been on the road since 5am.”
Opening the case for the prosecution, counsel for the Director of Military Prosecutions, Lieutenant Colonel Shane Keogh BL told the military judge, Colonel Michael Campion, said the orders to make a stop on a 200km-plus journey were “necessary and reasonable.”
“He did not act in ignorance. He acted in defiance,” remarked Lt Col Keogh.
After the bus was pulled into a hard shoulder, Corporal Paul Burke said he would not let 20 soldiers in uniform go to the toilet on the side of a road as someone would take a photo which would appear in newspapers and social media.
The trial heard that it was established that nobody else on the coach was qualified to drive the vehicle to allow Pte Graham to be relieved of his duties.
Corporal Burke described the driver’s demeanour as “crazy.”
IN A RUSH
When they arrived at Cathal Brugha Barracks, he said he was twice told to “f**k off” by Pte Graham when he ordered him to get out of the bus.
Sergeant Derek Rochford, who was a corporal at the time, admitted that the driver had told him at Finner Camp that he was in a rush as he had to be back as quickly as possible “for another detail.”
After the incident on the hard shoulder, Sgt Rochford said he did not feel it was safe to ask Pte Graham to stop again.
Several other passengers who were on the bus also gave evidence about the driver’s refusal to stop for a toilet break apart from pulling in on a hard shoulder.
An officer in the Defence Forces’ transport division told the court martial that a superior officer can tell the driver of a military vehicle what to do.
However, Commandant Ciaran Haughton said a document would need to be endorsed for any deviation from the driver’s detail.
The hearing was adjourned and resumes on Tuesday.
