Former sailor Private Shane Coulthrust was discharged with ignominy after 15 years in the Barbados Defence Force.
On Friday after deliberating for more than three hours, at 8:05 p.m. the panel of President Lieutenant Commander Fernella Cordle, Lieutenant Commander Robert Morris and Captain Randolph Clarke convicted Coulthrust for disobeying a standing order by using his personal cellphone on the Endurance and deviating from the patrol area without lawful authority on April 19, 2019.
The 33-year-old, at one time a sailor with the Barbados Coast Guard (BCG), but now with the Barbados Regiment, went on trial April 19 on several allegations linked to an April 19, 2019 incident while he was the coxswain aboard the vessel Endurance, patrolling Barbados’ territorial waters.
However, they found Coulthrust not guilty on three charges related to coopering with an unknown speed boat in the territorial waters of Barbados, where he allegedly collected 14 polythene packages, placed them on the Endurance, and transported the packages to the fishing vessel X17, moored in the Six Men’s, St Peter without authorisation; and not guilty on the three charges of  conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline by offering Ordinary Seaman Jamal Simmons, Omar Gollop and Omar Webb hush money of $2 200 to $2 500 each on April 30, 2019 not to report the events of April 19 in relation to the collection and transportation of the packages.
The panel retired to consider the penalty after hearing from Coulthrust, his attorney Queen’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim and the prosecution led by Captain Neville Corbin on the convicted man’s record and character.
Coulthrust’s record showed that between 2010 and 2013 he went absent without leave; damaged service property and disobeyed standing orders for which he was jailed briefly or admonished. Pilgrim, who had fought to get Coulthrust’s charges substantially reduced from the 12 he was initially facing, said the record contained minor offences which were of significant vintage.
He urged the court to be lenient with the 15-year veteran who has a wife and children, while Coulthrust also asked for leniency stating that he tried to do his best every day and enjoyed working with the BDF.
However, after retiring for more than two hours the panel could not come up with a settled punishment and went back into deliberations around 10:30 p.m. at Hodgson Hall, St Ann’s Fort where the matter was heard.
At that time, Pilgrim was concerned that, based on the direction of the Judge Advocate, Coulthrust would have to remain in jail pending sentence on the two minor offences which may not warrant imprisonment. (AC)
