Bannister released
Former army reserve captain ousted from Armed Forces
Todd Bannister is no longer a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.
He was released within the last two months following an administrative review process, which is used whenever a member’s suitability or viability for continued service is called into question, said Canadian Armed Forces spokesman Capt. Liam Mather.
Mather said the particulars surrounding Bannister’s release cannot be disclosed due to privacy regulations.
In February, a military court judge found Bannister not guilty on charges stemming from incidents where he allegedly asked a female cadet for sex.
He was found not guilty on two counts of behaving in a disgraceful manner and not guilty on two counts of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline.
The charges stemmed from two incidents involving former female cadet Breanna MacKinnon while Bannister was commanding officer of the 148 Charlottetown Army Cadet Corps.
In one incident, Bannister was alleged to have propositioned the former cadet to engage in sexual intercourse. He was also accused of making the same request to her on a separate occasion.
For the two counts of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline, Judge Lt.-Col. Louis-Vincent d’Auteuil found the prosecution had failed to prove that Bannister received proper notification of the cadets’ harassment and abuse prevention policy.
However, the prosecution is appealing the judge’s decision.
The date for an appeal hearing has not yet been set by the court.
Bannister can only be convicted of one of the two different charges in each incident.
Conviction of behaving in a disgraceful manner carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail but could result in a fine, reduction in rank or dismissal from the Armed Forces, the latter a moot point now.
The maximum penalty for a conviction of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline is dismissal with disgrace.
The administrative review is independent from any disciplinary or legal proceedings such as the pending appeal hearing, noted Mather.
During the court martial trial, prosecutor Maj. M.E. Leblond requested a military court judge reach not guilty verdicts against Bannister on charges stemming from an incident where Bannister, while serving as commanding officer of the 148 Charlottetown Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps, allegedly made a crude comment to a female cadet about her breasts.