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Girl trouble
Soldier cleared over failure to repel woolly intruders
Private John Foley is pictured after being acquitted at a courtmartial hearing in the Curragh, Co Kildare, yesterday
By Louise Hogan
Wednesday May 20 2009
FAILING to keep the 'girls' off an army base might seem a serious offence.
But when the 'girls' in question have four legs and their own woolly coats, it begins to look far less like a breach of discipline.
So when a soldier found himself court-martialled by the Defence Forces for allowing sheep onto his base, he knew he had to make a stand. Yesterday, the 23-year-old was vindicated after he was acquitted on three charges before a rare court-martial hearing.
The exact circumstances of the case were rather unusual as the charges related to Private John Foley's duties of keeping marauding sheep from infiltrating the grounds of the Defence Forces' Curragh camp base in Co Kildare.
It also emerged in the course of the court-martial hearing that the sheep have been fondly given the title of 'girls' by some of the Defence Forces members tasked with removing the woolly intruders.
The delighted 23-year-old private of the 3rd Infantry Battalion at the Curragh, speaking after the hearing, said: "It shows you should stand up for yourself in the Defence Forces, but within good reason and judgment."
The three charges related to his designation as 'Sheep Warden' for a 24-hour period from February 9 until February 10 last.
This task required patrolling the grounds of the camp in the Curragh on a two-hour basis to ensure the hundreds of sheep roaming freely on the plains did not access the barrack grounds. The army private, represented by solicitor Fergus O'Regan, pleaded not guilty under military law to all three charges.
This included knowingly signing the 'proforma' work plan for 'Camp Sheep Warden', knowing that the details were false. He was also charged with failing to report back to the logistics headquarters after completing his duties, and going AWOL for one day.
A solicitor for Pte Foley argued it would be unfair to convict him as he had not been placed on notice that he was considered AWOL and believed he was on his rest period after completing his 24 hours of duties.
Colonel Anthony McCourt, the military judge, said the evidence demonstrated a clear need to review the practices and procedures for the task.
- Louise Hogan
http://www.independent.ie/national-n...s-1744512.html
Private John Foley is pictured after being acquitted at a courtmartial hearing in the Curragh, Co Kildare, yesterday
By Louise Hogan
Wednesday May 20 2009
FAILING to keep the 'girls' off an army base might seem a serious offence.
But when the 'girls' in question have four legs and their own woolly coats, it begins to look far less like a breach of discipline.
So when a soldier found himself court-martialled by the Defence Forces for allowing sheep onto his base, he knew he had to make a stand. Yesterday, the 23-year-old was vindicated after he was acquitted on three charges before a rare court-martial hearing.
The exact circumstances of the case were rather unusual as the charges related to Private John Foley's duties of keeping marauding sheep from infiltrating the grounds of the Defence Forces' Curragh camp base in Co Kildare.
It also emerged in the course of the court-martial hearing that the sheep have been fondly given the title of 'girls' by some of the Defence Forces members tasked with removing the woolly intruders.
The delighted 23-year-old private of the 3rd Infantry Battalion at the Curragh, speaking after the hearing, said: "It shows you should stand up for yourself in the Defence Forces, but within good reason and judgment."
The three charges related to his designation as 'Sheep Warden' for a 24-hour period from February 9 until February 10 last.
This task required patrolling the grounds of the camp in the Curragh on a two-hour basis to ensure the hundreds of sheep roaming freely on the plains did not access the barrack grounds. The army private, represented by solicitor Fergus O'Regan, pleaded not guilty under military law to all three charges.
This included knowingly signing the 'proforma' work plan for 'Camp Sheep Warden', knowing that the details were false. He was also charged with failing to report back to the logistics headquarters after completing his duties, and going AWOL for one day.
A solicitor for Pte Foley argued it would be unfair to convict him as he had not been placed on notice that he was considered AWOL and believed he was on his rest period after completing his 24 hours of duties.
Colonel Anthony McCourt, the military judge, said the evidence demonstrated a clear need to review the practices and procedures for the task.
- Louise Hogan
http://www.independent.ie/national-n...s-1744512.html
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