The Royal Navy has been accused of overreacting after it sacked ‘one of its best’ officers for the minor indiscretion of driving its official car on weekends.
Commodore Nick Cooke-Priest, 50, had been the captain of the £3 billion HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier since October, but was fired after driving the ship’s Ford Galaxy ‘as if it was his own’.
Insiders claimed that the Commodore was never warned that the car was for official duties only, and he is said to be ‘gutted’ after discovering he had breached the rules by making personal journeys in the Galaxy.
One source is quoted in The Sun as saying he should merely have been given a ‘slap on the wrist’.
Another former officer told the paper: ‘Nick adores the Navy and has lost his career by doing what captains have done for decades — using the company car to get home.
‘An innocent mistake has cost the Navy one of its best.’
Commodore Cooke-Priest was dismissed days ago after a Top Brass investigation found him guilty of an ‘error of judgement’.
The respected officer had commanded a 700-strong crew, but an insider said his position had become ‘untenable’ as he could not properly discipline his sailors after breaking the rules himself.
It is understood that proceedings are ongoing to determine whether he will receive any formal punishment.
However it almost certainly means the end of his highly-distinguished career.
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