Navy officer died tackling murderer

A ROYAL Navy officer was shot in the head as he attempted to tackle a junior rating who went on a murderous rampage onboard a nuclearpowered submarine, an inquest has heard.

Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux ( pictured) would have fallen unconscious immediately after he suffered the gunshot wound in the incident on HMS Astute while it was docked at Southampton, Hampshire, on April 8 2011, the inquest heard.

Able seaman Ryan Donovan (23) was jailed for life to serve a minimum of 25 years after pleading guilty at Winchester Crown Court to the murder of Lt Cdr Molyneux.

The navigator yeoman also pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Lieutenant Commander Christopher Hodge (45), who he shot in the stomach.

The crown court heard his real targets, who he also admitted to attempting to murder, were Petty Off icer Christopher Brown (36) and Chief Petty Officer David McCoy (37)

Donovan’s attack was only stopped when the leader of Southampton City Council, Royston Smith and its chief executive, Alistair Neill, heroically wrestled the weapon from him.

The inquest which resumed at Southampton today heard that Lt Cdr Molyneux (36) suffered a single gunshot wound to the top of his head, six inches above his right earhole.

The inquest, which is being heard by a jury, resumes today.