The US military failed to notify British police of an allegation that one of its airmen had been drink-driving in Suffolk, preventing the British authorities from being able to investigate the offence.
asserted
one → fail → offence
The failure broke a longstanding formal agreement with British police that enables the UK to investigate alleged illegality by US military personnel who are stationed in Britain.
asserted
who → break → Britain
The airman, Christopher Mooty, had spent the night drinking with two other American service personnel in a market town before driving them to buy a kebab in the early hours of the morning.
asserted
airman → spend → morning
The allegation of drink-driving was later reported to his commanders, who then used their own internal processes to discipline him.
asserted
who → report → him
The case raises questions over how many other US military personnel based in the UK have committed crimes that have not been flagged to British police forces.
asserted
that → raise → forces
Mooty went on to commit a second drink-driving offence a year later.
asserted
Mooty → go → offence
This time he was prosecuted in a British court.
asserted
he → prosecute → court
The latest disclosures are part of the Guardian’s investigation into crimes carried out by American military personnel who are based in Britain.
asserted
who → carry → Britain
The series prompted the UK government and police chiefs to set up a high-level inquiry in the summer to establish whether US military personnel stationed in Britain are being brought to justice properly.
asserted
personnel → prompt → justice
In the latest case, Mooty, then a 21-year-old airman working at the huge United States Air Force (USAF) base at Mildenhall, Suffolk, went on a night out in March 2023.
asserted
Mooty → work → March
He met two other American airmen in a pub in Newmarket where he drank two or three bottles of beer in two hours, according to evidence heard at his disciplinary hearing.
uncertain
he → meet → hearing
They then went to another Newmarket pub where he had two or three vodka Red Bulls over another two hours.
asserted
he → go → hours
They took a taxi to the home of one of the men in Bury St Edmunds.
asserted
They → take → Edmunds
But they soon decided they were hungry and at around 4am Mooty drove them in his car to a kebab shop, according to evidence at the disciplinary hearing.
uncertain
Mooty → decide → hearing
While he was driving, Mooty received messages from a British woman who had been in a relationship with him.
asserted
who → drive → him
During the exchanges, the woman quickly suspected that he was drunk.
asserted
he → suspect → exchanges
Later that night, he went to her home.
asserted
he → go → home
She said that Mooty was “the most drunk I’ve ever seen him” when he went to her house, adding: “I’m surprised he didn’t crash/get caught,” the disciplinary hearing heard.
asserted
hearing → say → house
She reported him to his superiors at Mildenhall.
asserted
She → report → Mildenhall
“He is endangering the lives of the people in this country and should not be here,” she told them.
asserted
she → endanger → them
Mooty was disciplined in a US court martial for being drunk in charge of a vehicle.
asserted
Mooty → discipline → vehicle
A military judge convicted him, sentencing him to 20 days of hard labour and a demotion.
asserted
judge → convict → labour
However, under the terms of an agreement that has been in force since the 1950s, the British police have the primary responsibility for investigating alleged wrongdoing by US military personnel, unless the offences were committed while the Americans were on duty, or against another member of their armed forces or property.
asserted
Americans → have → forces
There are now questions about why the US military prevented the possibility of Mooty being prosecuted in a British court.
asserted
Mooty → be → court
Suffolk police said they were “not notified of a drink-driving incident on 3/4 March 2023 involving a US airman from RAF Mildenhall.
asserted
they → say → Mildenhall
We understand that the incident was investigated and dealt with by the USAF.”
asserted
incident → understand → USAF
In a statement, the USAF said: “While we do not have a specific written record of this notification occurring, there is no reason to believe that verbal notification was not provided in line with standard inter-agency coordination procedures.”
asserted
notification → say → procedures
Asked why it decided to investigate Mooty instead of handing the case over to the British police, the USAF said he “was not stopped by UK law enforcement while driving.
asserted
he → ask → enforcement
Rather, the allegation was first reported to US military authorities well after the driving incident occurred.
asserted
incident → report → authorities
“Thus, no chemical testing (blood and breathalyser evidence) was available nor any first-hand observation of impairment by police forces, as typically desired by local UK prosecutors
asserted
testing → desire → prosecutors
The USAF added that its military prosecutors could take Mooty to a court martial based on the testimony of witnesses and what it called “indicators of impairment”.
uncertain
it → add → impairment
The USAF said it had a policy of prosecuting as many of its personnel as possible within the boundaries of its agreement with the UK.
asserted
it → say → UK
It argues that this is a more effective way of maintaining discipline and good order within its ranks.
asserted
this → argue → ranks
The USAF asks British police if it can take over the prosecution of cases, requests that British police often agree to.
asserted
police → ask → that
US military judges subsequently quashed the court martial verdict against Mooty and approved a rehearing of his case, but this has not been held, as he was dismissed from the USAF after he was caught drink-driving a year later.
asserted
he → quash → driving
At 4.20am on 31 March 2024, he was arrested by a Suffolk police officer after driving a car while over the limit in Bury St Edmunds.
asserted
he → arrest → Edmunds
He resisted being arrested.
asserted
He → resist → ?
He was convicted at Ipswich magistrates court in August 2024 after pleading guilty to both offences.
asserted
He → convict → offences
Mooty was banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay fines and penalties totalling £871.
asserted
Mooty → ban → 871
On this occasion, the USAF did not step in and request to take over the prosecution.
asserted
USAF → step → prosecution
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
