Coulthrust, found guilty of two charges, pleads for leniency

Coast Guard Private Shane Coulthrust pleaded for leniency late Friday night after a military tribunal found him guilty of two of the nine charges he faced during his court-martial.

But the sentence to be imposed was not immediately known as the three-member panel of Lieutenant Commander Fernella Cordle, Lieutenant Commander Robert Morris and Captain Randolph Clarke were locked in deliberations on Private Coulthrust’s fate at the Barbados Defence Force’s St Ann’s Fort headquarters after 11 p.m.

Earlier, after deliberating for over three hours, the panel returned at 8:03 p.m. and found the 33-year-old Coulthrust guilty of going off course without authorization and using his personal cell phone while on duty on April 19, 2019, in contravention of the Coast Guard’s Standing Orders.

But he was acquitted of paying bribes of $2,200 each to Ordinary Seaman Jamal Simmons and Omar Webb, as well as paying crewman Omar Gollop $2500 on April 30, 2019.

Judge Advocate Rita Evans had directed the panel to return not guilty verdicts on the charges that Coulthrust had collected, transported and transferred 14 polythene packages while he was in charge of the Barbados Coast Guard vessel Endurance on April 19, 2019, saying they prejudiced the accused man.

After he was found guilty on the two charges, Coulthrust’s service record was revealed.

He was found to have committed five prior infractions between 2010 and 2019, including two for negligently causing damage to service property, absence without leave, disobedience to a Standing Order and conduct prejudicial to good order.

When asked if he had anything to say, Private Coulthrust asked the court to be lenient in its sentencing.

“I try my best every day to be of my best but being my best isn’t always best. If punishment is given I ask that it be lenient because I have a wife and young child,” he declared, while pointing out that he enjoyed working at the Defence Force.

His attorney-at-law, Queen’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim also asked the court to be merciful, saying that his client’s previous offences were minor.

Pilgrim said: “I would ask the court to take into account the fact that those offences were minor and significantly vintage. He has served in the BDF for almost 15 years and he has a wife and child to look after so I am asking the court to be as lenient as possible in any punishment.”

The three-member panel then left again to deliberate sentencing.

But more than two hours later they were unable to agree on a sentence for the two charges.

The Judge Advocate suggested a pre-sentencing report be carried out, which she said might guide the panel in determining a sentence.

But Pilgrim raised a concern that such a report could take several weeks and might result in Coulthrust being remanded into custody for a longer period than his actual sentence.

The Queen’s Counsel also suggested it would be “inappropriate” to remand his client if a non-custodial sentence was being contemplated by the panel.

At one point, the panel sought to adjourn the proceedings until 1 p.m. on Saturday but reversed that decision and instead chose to continue deliberations after 11 p.m. with hopes of coming to an agreement on a sentence.

The prosecution was led by Captain Neville Corbin.
(randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)