by Emmanuel Joseph
Sub-Lieutenant Nakeida Gibson, a commissioned member of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) with a spotless 15-year record until now, will be out of a job if the recommendation of a court martial panel is accepted.
Days after the 37-year-old Coast Guard officer pleaded guilty to four charges of misconduct, the six-member panel hearing the matter recommended her dismissal, subject to confirmation by BDF Chief of Staff Brigadier Carlos Lovell.
“I know you expect to be punished in accordance with the law,” said Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Souvenir of the Guyana Defence Force, the military tribunal’s president said on Friday.
“The court carefully considered the aggravating and mitigating factors and has decided that Sub-Lieutenant Nakeida Gibson is sentenced to dismissal from the Barbados Defence Force. The sentence is subject to confirmation by the convening officer.”
Sub-Lt Gibson has the option to appeal her sentence to the High Court, and ultimately the Caribbean Court of Justice, the country’s court of last resort, legal sources confirmed to Barbados TODAY. Until the Chief of Staff makes a final decision, she has been allowed to return home.
She exited the precincts of the court at BDF Headquarters St Ann’s Fort with her lawyer after the ruling, hiding her face from waiting photographers.
The decision of the panel came after four hours of deliberations, with the panel reaching a unanimous decision. Sub-Lt Gibson, who faced charges of conduct and neglect prejudicial to good order and military discipline, willful misconduct, and willful neglect in public office, showed no visible emotion during the sentencing, standing beside her legal counsel Larry Smith SC, and Vincent Watson.
It was a sharp contrast to the day before when she tearfully apologised for her actions that caused her to face a court martial.
The Coast Guard officer admitted she breached the BDF’s fraternisation policy by engaging in a personal relationship with a junior-ranked individual. She also admitted to negligently handling her service weapon, which was fired in the presence of others, and then replacing the spent ammunition without reporting the incident, an act deemed an abuse of public trust.
“I am truly and completely sorry for my actions,” she said on Thursday. “It ate me out…. I want to say sorry to everybody. It’s not a good feeling.”
She had pleaded for leniency, asking the court to consider rehabilitation and her otherwise unblemished military career.
The charges against the Staff Officer Logistics and Quartermaster for Stores stemmed from an incident at her Christ Church home on July 10, during which she breached the BDF’s fraternisation policy, by engaging in a personal relationship with a person of a junior rank, and she mishandled a service weapon.
Prosecutors revealed that Sub-Lt Gibson had invited the girlfriend of an unnamed male petty officer – with whom she was having a relationship – to her home while the man was in a “compromising position”. In an ensuing incident, the handgun was fired.
Sub-Lt Gibson said the weapon which belonged to the petty officer had misfired as she attempted to clear it, and admitted that her finger was on the trigger when it was fired.
The investigation revealed that contrary to standardoperating procedures, no incident reports were submitted to BDF headquarters by the military personnel involved.
A number of character witnesses spoke in support of Gibson, calling the incident a first-time mistake for an officer known for her dedication and service. Her mother, Sandra Norris, also urged the court to show compassion, emphasising that her daughter’s actions were uncharacteristic.
Her commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Derrick Brathwaite, and Ambassador Aquinas Clarke, a former BDF deputy chief of staff, also spoke highly of the convicted officer. They described the incident as a firsttime “mistake” that was out of character for a dedicated and valuable member of the armed forces. They, along with her mother, had urged the court to allow her to continue serving, asserting that her actions did not reflect her overall contribution to the BDF.
But prosecutor Major Neville Watson maintained that dismissal was necessary given the gravity of the offences, despite Gibson’s early guilty plea.
“The military’s core foundation is discipline,” he argued, recommending her removal from service.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
