Canadian navy lieutenant fined, reprimanded for vaping aboard ship
A navy lieutenant has been reprimanded and fined $750 for using an e-cigarette aboard a Royal Canadian Navy frigate.
Lt. Benjamin Gillis pleaded guilty Thursday to conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline at a military court hearing in Victoria.
The 30-year-old combat systems engineer was twice caught vaping in the wardroom of HMCS Calgary in October 2021.
The incidents occurred outside work hours but in the presence of several junior officers, which undermined both morale and respect for the ship's rules against smoking and vaping, the court heard.
After the first incident on Oct. 4, a colleague sent an email reminding Gillis of the ship's standing orders prohibiting e-cigarette use.
Despite the warning, the lieutenant was again seen vaping in the wardroom in the presence of junior officers on Oct. 15. This time, the lieutenant had dialed down the setting on the e-cigarette to emit little to no vapour.
"This is a case of someone who thought he could get around the rules – twice," military prosecutor Greg Moorehead told the court Thursday.
"He thought that by changing the settings on the device he could get around the rules," Moorehead said. "He was already told and reminded of the smoking policy by his superior, and this turns a simple error in judgment into something a little bit more."
Military judge Cmdr. Martin Pelletier heard that Gillis, who enrolled in the naval reserves in 2008 and earned the Canadian Forces' Decoration award for 12 years of service, was posted to HMCS Calgary – his second ship posting – from September 2021 to February 2022.
The judge acknowledged HMCS Calgary has experienced problems with its smoking policy in the past, most notably in January 2020, when the ship's executive officer was removed ahead of deployment to the Asia-Pacific region.
Lt.-Cmdr. John Forbes was found guilty on three counts of misconduct and fined $3,000 for disabling the wardroom's smoke and heat detectors so he could smoke while the ship was in San Diego, Calif.
Gillis's defence lawyer and the military prosecutor provided a joint sentencing submission Thursday, proposing the $750 fine and reprimand, which the judge accepted.
Gillis, who plans to leave the military in March, "demonstrated contempt for a very simple rule," the judge told the court, decrying the "lack of judgment by an officer of the offender's rank."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot multiple times in attempted assassination
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.