HMS Astute murderer

A Royal Navy submariner has been jailed for life after pleading guilty to shooting an officer dead and attempting to kill three more aboard the navy's first-in-class attack submarine HMS Astute in April this year.

Ryan Samuel Donovan, 23, of Hillside Road, Dartford, Kent, pleaded guilty to the murder of Lieutenant Commander Ian Molyneux, 36, with an SA80

assault rifle aboard HMS Astute on 8 April.

He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Petty Officer Christopher Brown, 36, Chief Petty Officer David McCoy, 37, and Lieutenant Commander Christopher Hodge, 45.

The judge at Winchester Crown Court said Donovan must serve at least 25 years of his sentence.

Donovan had been given the SA80 assault rifle in order to take part in sentry duty, but began to walk away immediately after being handed the weapon.

When he was verbally challenged for not having signed for the weapon, Donovan turned round and fired on the two Petty Officers, the court heard.

He fired a total of six shots during the incident in the submarine's control room, killing Lt Cdr Molyneux and wounding Lt Cdr Hodge.

Donovan fired the first four shots at Petty Officers Brown and McCoy, none of which hit the men, before Lt Cdr Molyneux reacted and attempted to rugby tackle him.

Molyneux was shot in the head at close range, dying instantly, and Donovan then proceeded to shoot Lt Cdr Hodge once before being tackled to the floor by Southampton City Council leader Royston Smith and council chief executive Alistair Neill.