An Army soldier from the British Army was expelled for drinking during ‘orderly duty’. He started an argument with a friend over a beer row.
In July, Corporal Kirtdaykin, 38, tackled his fellow soldier to the ground and then punched him in both the head and the stomach during a street brawl outside the pub he was located in Larkhill (near Salisbury).
When the incident occurred, it was because of ‘orderly duty,’ where soldiers are forbidden to drink so they can care for intoxicated co-workers and get important messages.
Bulford Military Court, in Wiltshire, heard Cpl Daykin was with the 47th Royal Artillery at Horne Barracks when he challenged Lance Bombardier Douglas Gough to a fight.
Prosecuting Captain Rebecca Slee said that “Cpl Daykin” reported to duty at 10:00 AM on the 9th [of July]he was expected to be on duty till 6 p.m. on the 11th.
Corporal Kirt Daykin pictured outside Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to single counts of battery, disorderly behaviour and contravening standing orders
Cpl. Daykin was accused of punching a fellow officer in the head and tackling him to the ground during a brawl outside a Salisbury bar.
“During the evening of 10th Cpl Daykin visited The Packhorse Pub in Larkhill.
Cpl Daykin was drinking alcohol at the pub while in breach of standing orders. Alcohol shouldn’t be consumed at any time while on duty.
“On the way back from the pub, there was an altercation with Cpl Daykin. LBdr Gough attacked him. Cpl Daykin rugby punched him in his head and brought him down to the ground.
A dispute at the pub led to the altercation that resulted in the argument during the walk home, according to the court.
Jane England, Judge Advocate: “Gough was in the toilet and saw some fighting. He got the wrong impression.”
“Cpl Daykin objected to his intervention and broke it up, and believed Gough had struck him in the head.
“Ironically,” he would have had to take care of those returning to camp drunk.
Tagbo Ilozue (defending) stated in mitigation that Cpl. Daykin had requested LBdr. Gough to fight them, but the latter had ‘accepted willingly and removed his hoodie to invite to brawl.
When the drunken incident occurred, Cpl Daykin had been on “orderly duty”, where soldiers are forbidden to drink so they can care for intoxicated co-workers and get important messages.
Cpl Daykin was demoted to Lance Corporal and fined £800 following the hearing in Wiltshire
He added that Cpl Daykin has struggled with alcohol dependency in the wake of death of both his father and grandfather in quick succession, which he found out about while on tour in Iraq.
Mr Ilozue said this ‘traumatic experience’ was followed by the breakdown of his marriage and his ex-wife taking his two young children, aged seven and 10, to Germany.
Passing sentence, Judge Advocate England, said: ‘Your general behaviour on the way home was unpleasant.
“You’ve had a hard couple of years. Two very difficult losses were suffered: the breakup of your marriage and the relocation of your children overseas. You have never seen your family.
“As a consequence, you used alcohol to cope.”
Cpl Daykin was demoted to Lance Corporal and fined £800 after pleading guilty to single counts of battery, disorderly behaviour and contravening standing orders.