Commodore’s wife used car on school run
Ford Galaxy was driven on school run while HMS Queen Elizabeth was at sea, says defence source
The Navy captain removed from command of HMS Queen Elizabeth is understood to have allowed his wife to use the ship’s car. Commodore Nick Cooke-priest was stripped of his command of the aircraft carrier over a claim that he treated the Ford Galaxy “like it was his own”. The Daily Telegraph understands Cdre Cookepriest is believed to have allowed his wife to use the vehicle, including on the school run. It is believed crew members would have highlighted the inaccuracies in the car’s mileage.
THE Navy captain removed from command of HMS Queen Elizabeth is understood to have allowed his wife to use the ship’s car and, it has emerged, he was reported by his own crew.
Commodore Nick Cooke-priest was stripped of his command of the fleet’s new aircraft carrier over a claim that he treated the Ford Galaxy “like it was his own”.
However, his dismissal turned into farce when it was announced that he would still take the helm of the ship to sail from Rosyth to Portsmouth, only for that decision to be quickly reversed by the Royal Navy before the captain was flown off the ship.
The Daily Telegraph now understands that Cdre Cooke-priest is believed to have allowed his wife to use the vehicle, including on the school run. One source alleged that the outgoing commanding officer of Britain’s £3billion carrier had let his wife use the car when he was at sea.
Senior defence sources have told The Telegraph that Cdre Cooke-priest had been warned on more than one occasion over the inappropriate use of the ship’s Ford Galaxy – which is only permitted to be used for official duties.
It is understood it was the discrepancies between the vehicle worksheet, documenting who used the vehicle, for what purpose and for how long, and its recorded mileage that alerted authorities. It is believed members of Cdre Cooke-priest’s own crew would have highlighted the inaccuracies.
The driver of the vehicle is only insured once the official worksheet is signed, raising questions over whether cover was in place for any alleged trips made by Cdre Cooke-priest’s wife.
A senior Navy source said: “Everyone knows the rules; it’s not as if you stumble into them when you become captain. It’s how we are governed as public servants.” When Cdre Cookepriest was first “reassigned” from command of HMS Queen Elizabeth it was reported that he had never been warned that using the Ford Galaxy for personal journeys was in breach of rules. He is understood to have paid for his own petrol and there is no allegation of fraud.
Gen Sir Richard Barrons, the former commander of Joint Forces Command, said that given the nature of the allegations, removing Cdre Cooke-priest from the ship was the right decision. He said: “This is the Queen Elizabeth, not a minesweeper – no offence. It’s iconic.
“If the commanding officer’s position is seen as shaky to untenable, the kindest thing is to sort it out.”
The reversal of the decision to allow Cdre Cooke-priest to bring HMS Queen Elizabeth back to Portsmouth was met with surprise yesterday. The initial decision was taken on the basis he had been “reassigned” to other duties, rather than sacked, and remained in command of the ship.
However, it is understood that decision was reviewed and concluded to have been a mistake given the scrutiny around the case. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “In hindsight we should have taken him off the ship earlier; why take the risk when we don’t need to? Why put that man, who could be put under strain, in that position?”
A Royal Navy spokesman defended the decision, saying: “The individual has not been sacked or punished and this is just management action while the investigation is ongoing.”
It is understood the initial investigation into Cdre Cooke-priest’s actions is now being analysed by Royal Navy legal and policy teams to determine the next step, which could involve disciplinary or administrative action.