British Army 'Mutiny' over Hungover Commanding Officers Leads to Court Martial

A group of soldiers are facing jail, fines or a reduction in rank for a sitdown protest after their commanding officers allegedly turned up to a march suffering from hangovers.

Led by Cpl Anthony Brown, 29, the group of 16 soldiers sat down during a disciplinary parade in Kenya in front of around 1,000 other soldiers, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The court martial heard how members of the 1<sup>st Battalion Yorks Regiment had become frustrated and angry with their new captain and colour sergeant.

Capt Stanton and Sgt Scott Dyson were said to have got drunk before a major training march in Wales in 2012.

According to reports, tensions flared after the soldiers completed a 16-mile march in full kit across the Brecon Beacons, the Military Court Centre at Bulford, Wiltshire, heard.

Instead of finding their bosses ceremoniously welcoming them on the finishing line, both were found in bed sleeping off their hangovers.

In another incident, a colleague was punished for returning to base a few hours late.

The soldiers, who excelled during a tour of Afghanistan, were posted back to Kenya for additional training. At this point, the platoon was said to have got "too big for their boots".

Prosecuting, Clive Whittam said: "The platoon was said to have worked well in Afghanistan. There was said to have been a perception that they had got a little too big for their boots."

However, Jonathan Lynch, defending, said: "I want to make it clear this is not a case of inflated egos but a case of mismanagement."

All 16 have pleaded guilty to disobeying an order to stand up.

Pte Michael Hassall, Pte Grant White, Pte Paul Jenkin, Pte Edward Caffrey, Pte Martin Pettit, Lance Corp Christopher Allport, Corp Miles Smith, Pte Ross McDowell, Pte Thomas White, Pte Zak Wilson, Pte Adam Powls, Pte Killian Cassidy, Pte Daniel Storey, L Cpl Steven Tidesley, Cpl Anthony Brown and Pte Robert Ball are awaiting sentencing.