He was drunk, obsessed with murder and seething at life in the Royal Navy, but Able Seaman Ryan Donovan was still handed a loaded machine gun and allowed to guard a nuclear submarine.
Donovan then murdered a senior officer and attempted to kill three other shipmates in April this year.
Last night he was beginning a 25-year sentence for murder after a court heard how he had repeatedly promised to unleash a massacre.
The attack finally came after a row with two officers over poorly performed cleaning duties. Despite the row, he was allowed two days of shore leave - which ended at 3.30am on the fateful day when he was put to bed extremely drunk.
At noon that day - having told colleagues he was going to kill someone - he began a guard duty stint and was handed an automatic rifle. Moment afterwards weapons engineer Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux, 36, was shot in the head at point blank range.
The submariner - obsessed with gangster rap and violent computer games - admitted murder during a goodwill visit to Southhampton by his submarine, the £1.2 billion HMS Astute. He fired seven shots in 13 seconds in the confines of the vessel before being wrestled to the ground by visiting dignitaries. Another officer was hit in the abdomen as others dived for cover.
Last night top brass were facing urgent questions about why he was given an SA80 automatic rifle and 30 rounds of live ammunition and put on guard duty.
It emerged that the Navy missed a string of warnings about his behaviour.
They knew he had a police caution for assault, had been arrested for drunkenness and referred to doctors for alleged misuse of drugs.
One former submarine commander said: “That he could be given a firearm after a heavy drinking sessions is astonishing.”
“If this had happened at sea the Royal Navy could have had a catastrophe on its hands.”
A year before the shooting Donovan had told a fellow seaman that he was thinking about the best way to “start a massacre” in the control room. He said he wanted to stage a “kill frenzy” from computer game Grand Theft Auto.
Mr Justice Field yesterday branded the shootings a “murderous onslaught”. He said it was a miracle he had not killed two other officers. As Lr Cdr Molyneux’s widow Gillian sobbed in court, he said that the loss for her and their four young children will be “crushingly hard to bear”.
The judge added: “In killing that officer, you robbed him of a bright future within a loving family and with a promising career as a naval officer.”
Winchester Crown Court heard that the seaman had faced up to a month in a naval prison after refusing to get up and help re-clean a floor.
He was nevertheless granted two days’ shore leave during the five-day stop in Southampton as children and VIPs toured the submarine.
He spent the time drinking and visiting strip bars before volunteering for the first available guard duty on April 8.
On that day, as he travelled back to the submarine, he told fellow seaman Colin Banks: “I’m going to kill somebody” adding, “I’m not kidding, watch the news.”
Donovan told another sailor before going on duty: “One day I will be famous.” Asked why, he replied: “You will see.”
Despite being helped into bed while drunk at 3.30am, Donovan was handed the gun at noon after an officer sniffed his breath and checked his eyes to decide he was sober.
As he walked away Donovan suddenly swung around and began firing at Petty Officer Chris Brown, 36, and Chief Petty Officer David McCoy, 37, from less than 10ft. Four bullets missed the men.
Donovan then walked towards the control room where he was met by Lt Cdr Molyneux who shouted: “What have you done?”
He shot the officer in the head before stepping over his body and wounding Lieutenant Commander Chris Hodge, 45.The gunman was then tackled by Southampton council leader Royston Smith and chief executive Alistair Neill.
Describing Lt Cdr Molyneaux’s actions, prosecutor Nigel Lickley QC said: “It was a totally heroic attempt to stop an armed man in his tracks.” Mr Lickley added that Mr Smith and Mr Neill displayed “remarkable courage”.
The court heard details of how Donovan had been arrested in Canada in 2008 for being drunk and had a police caution for assault in 2007.
In 2009 he was referred to a Navy doctor because of fears he may have been taking drugs but no evidence was found.
Donovan’s barrister Christopher Porter, QC, described his client as feckless and grossly immature and said he had intended to kill himself at the end of the shooting. - Daily Mail