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| Lt. Derek de Jong |
A Canadian Navy lieutenant who was a ramrod for correct behaviour has been fined $5000 and given a severe reprimand for deserting his ship and coming home to Halifax. Lieutenant Derek de Jong, accompanied by his wife, left the court martial in Halifax this morning (Wednesday, May 7, 2014) with the praise of character witnesses that he is an asset to the navy. A senior officer said de Jong has since done “outstanding” work training hundreds of members in inventory management software. The strange case would seem to have cast a doubtful light on navy discipline and routine as well. Lieutenant de Jong’s expectations did not sit well with the rest of the officers. Court heard that a female officer sneaked into de Jong’s cabin when he was asleep, pulled down her pants and urinated on the floor. She was never reprimanded or dealt with in any way, the court martial heard. De Jong was also told he was not welcome in the ward room. He testified that he had warned against giving more than 200 crew members too much alcohol for fear it would cause disorderly intoxication. In the event, many crew went ashore and were returned by local police for various offenses. In September 2012 de Jong packed up his things while his ship was moored in Key West and flew home. He turned himself in to military police on arrival in Halifax. Altogether a very strange case.
