Abergavenny man helped disarm submarine murderer (From South Wales Argus)

Abergavenny man helped disarm submarine murderer

1:20pm Friday 4th January 2013 in Gwent news

AN INQUEST was told yesterday how a Gwent man helped disarm a gunman who had shot a Royal Navy officer on board a nuclear-powered submarine.

Southampton council chief executive Alistair Neill, who lives near Abergavenny, tackled Able Seaman Ryan Donovan and, together with former council leader Royston Smith, took his automatic weapon fromhim.

Donovan had just killed Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux when he went on a rampage on board HMS Astute while it was docked at Southampton on April 8, 2011.

The 23-year-old was jailed for life to serve a minimum of 25 years after pleading guilty at Winchester Crown Court to the murder of Lt Cdr Molyneux.

The navigator yeoman also pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Lieutenant Commander Christopher Hodge, 45, whom he shot in the stomach.

The crown court heard that his real targets, whom he also admitted to attempting to murder, were Petty Officer Christopher Brown, 36, and Chief Petty Officer David McCoy, 37.

The inquest is being held in Southampton into the death of Lt Cdr Molyneux, 36, who suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, consistent with him rushing forward to tackle the gunman.

Proceeding