Royal Navy Officer Allegedly Drove at Terrifying Speeds
A Royal Navy Lieutenant left two fellow officers fearing for their safety during a journey to Faslane naval base, a court martial has heard. Lieutenant Tiarnan Gallagher, 30, is accused of reaching speeds of 113mph in a hired BMW 3 Series while declaring he was 'allergic to driving slowly'.
Journey of Terror on UK Motorways
The incident occurred on 27 October 2024 after the three servicemen completed training at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall. They were travelling to HMNB Clyde in Faslane, Dunbartonshire, for their final week of training. Sub-Lieutenant Henry Wilson initially collected the hire car and drove to pick up Lt Gallagher from HMS Drake in Plymouth.
Sub Lt Wilson told Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire that during the first leg of the 500-mile journey, Lt Gallagher encouraged him to 'put his foot down and see what the car could do'. After stopping at Michaelwood Services near Bristol, Lt Gallagher took over driving - and the dangerous behaviour allegedly began.
White-Knuckle Ride and Phone Use
Sub Lt Wilson described how his colleague reached 113mph on the M5 motorway while simultaneously using his mobile phone to send texts and shuffle music with just 'one hand on the wheel'. The court heard that Lt Gallagher would speed up to vehicles before braking sharply and undertaking them, leaving Sub Lt Wilson with 'white knuckles on the dashboard'.
When they collected their third colleague, Sub-Lieutenant Alexander Wardlow, in Uttoxeter around 2:30pm, the two junior officers agreed Lt Gallagher shouldn't drive again. However, during a petrol stop in Gretna, Dumfriesshire at approximately 19:30, Lt Gallagher allegedly climbed from the back seat into the driver's seat and refused to move.
'Hellbent' on Driving and Near-Miss
Sub Lt Wardlow told the court: 'He was hellbent on driving. He was accelerating on the roundabouts and would brake sharply. I didn't want to be in a car with him. It was dangerous driving.' He added that when merging back onto the motorway, Lt Gallagher drove across a solid white line too early and came within 'a metre or two' of hitting a lorry.
Prosecuting, Lieutenant Commander Luis Canosa stated that Lt Gallagher drove erratically, weaved through traffic, and used his mobile phone repeatedly. The two sub-lieutenants eventually removed him from the hire car insurance and reported the incident to police.
Defence lawyer Mark Karpinski suggested the colleagues had fabricated their allegations. The trial continues at Bulford Military Court where Lt Gallagher faces one count of dangerous driving.
