Linton defence force members rack up criminal convictions

Booze was by far the biggest problem across the defence force, with 32 of the offences listed as alcohol-related.

Linton-based military personnel are among the worst behaved in the country, ticking up nearly as many criminal convictions since 2019 as those at all other bases combined.

Figures provided under the Official Information Act show 46 regular force personnel – non-civilian defence force staff excluding reserves – were convicted of criminal offences in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Twenty of those were based at Linton Military Camp, easily making soldiers at the Manawatū camp – the largest army camp in New Zealand – the worst behaved.

The next worst was Burnham Military Camp with 15 people getting convictions, six at Devonport Naval Base, four at Base Auckland in Whenuapai and one other at another posting location not revealed in the data.

Linton-based soldiers have a record of poor behaviour in Palmerston North, with things getting so bad in 2020 they were banned from The Daily Bar and Nightclub by senior military figure Colonel Stefan Michie.

Assaults, almost all of them soldiers attacking fellow soldiers, were behind the ban.

One of those involved 19-year-old Brendan Edwardson kicking a fellow solider in the head like he was booting a football in June 2020. He admitted injuring with intent, was convicted and sentenced to six months’ supervision.

Booze was by far the biggest problem across the defence force, with 32 of the offences listed as alcohol-related.

Four were for assault, one for drug offending and nine for other types of offending.

The lack of drug convictions does not mean defence force staff are clean, however.

Multiple courts martial were held in Manawatū between 2019 and last year for personnel who either admitted or were found guilty of various drugs offences, mostly related to the use and supply of MDMA.

Stuff also requested how many defence force personnel were discharged in 2019, 2020 and 2021 – 239 in total.

The majority, 137, were discharged for either permanent disability or medical reasons.

Fifty-eight were discharged for poor conduct, including Shiloh Rangimarie Keene. He was discharged after assaulting a fellow solider in August 2019 outside The Daily while the pair were waiting to enter.

The pair had a brief argument before Keene punched his comrade in the face, then hitting him again when he did not drop.

The victim fell against a wall, but got up and walked a short distance before collapsing. Keene told police he thought he was going to be hit first.

He was sentenced to six months’ home detention for the attack.

Not finishing initial training and being ineffectual or ineffective were the remaining reasons for discharge.