Information from the three services’ and Ministry of Defence police’s databases for thefts of Ministry of Defence equipment is shown in the following table. Each line reflects one offence. The severity of the sentences reflects the past records and previous convictions of the individuals involved, as well as the nature of the offence itself.
The information provided pertains solely to thefts of MOD equipment and does not include those cases where the item stolen was not identified as belonging to the MOD.
Information in the years before 2004 is not comprehensive as records relating the RAF personnel could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Year—No. of Guilty/proven verdicts Item(s) stolen 1999—15 Guilty/proven verdicts Police Caution Army video camera Fined £100 Taking a vehicle without consent Dismissal and 60 days detention Taking a vehicle without consent Fined £1200 Taking a vehicle without consent Fined £250 Aggravated taking of a vehicle 112 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,500 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Dismissal and eight months and 26 days detention Two “Abloy” keys Dismissal and pay suspended to the amount of £239.07 Taking a vehicle without consent Fined £500 Two Maglite torches Reduced in rank Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in damage. 140 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £212.17 14 twenty litre cans of petrol 14 days Restriction of privileges TV set Dismissal and Reduced in rank Removal of classified documents and 9mm magazine 82 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £32.61 Bayonet 14 days Restriction of privileges TV set, sleeping bags and jackets 2000—11 Guilty charges 12 months probation and 100 hours community service, £55 costs and disqualified from driving for 12 months. Minibus Fined £400 and internal disciplinary action taken Two replica pistols and a diving knife 60 hours community rehabilitation over 18 months and £250 costs Various weapons including shotguns. Dismissal and 165 days detention, pay suspended to the amount of £1075 and Reduced in rank Unspecified MOD equipment Fined £160 Two Land Rover door panels 112 days detention Two instances of taking a vehicle without consent. 140 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,500 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident. Nine months detention and £1,000 compensation. Aggravated taking of a vehicle 112 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £383.94 Misuse of military vehicle Dismissal Computer software Six months and 24 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £140 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident. 2001—17 Guilty charges Six Months imprisonment Two smoke grenades and 5 x rockets 59 days detention and reduced in rank Two automatic rifles 28 days detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident. Fined £750 Removal of pistol without consent Fined £600 Taking a vehicle without consent Fined £350 Taking a vehicle without consent and without appropriate permits and insurance Severe Reprimand—mitigated by the Appropriate Review Authority to admonishment Four charges of entering into an agreement for the conditional sale of 4 bugles and 1 drum Dismissal and 135 days detention Two helmets, two swords, buckskin trousers and breast plate. Seven months detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,427.17 Aggravated taking of a vehicle Six months detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle Dismissal and six months detention Burglary from store Fined £500 Aggravated taking of a vehicle Fined £500 Aggravated taking of a vehicle Dismissal, 165 days detention and Reduced in rank Unspecified MOD equipment Dismissal Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident. 82 days detention and Reduced in rank Live rounds, shotgun cartridges, two training grenades Reduced in rank and pay suspended to the amount of £2,000 Aggravated taking of a vehicle 2002—15 Guilty/proven verdicts Fined £1,050 and pay suspended to the amount of £12.66 Batteries 14 days extra work and drills Respirator 140 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £1,250 Aggravated taking of a vehicle 112 days detention Equipment including—Armbands, Gerber knife, baton, handcuffs, batteries Six months detention Taking vehicle without consent 180 days detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in damage 42 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £106.50 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Fined £1,000, Severe reprimand, and pays suspended to the amount of £6,043.08 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Fined £500 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident 112 days detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Fined £1,000 and pay suspended to the amount of £1,000 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in damage Fined £500 Caught in act of burglary Reduced in rank Multi tool and pouch Dismissal, 122 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £100 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in damage Fined £650 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in damage 2003—22 Guilty/proven verdicts Dismissal and 42 days detention and pay suspended for 318 days Mobile telephone Fined £300 Two electric hand lights, and 60 photographic prints Dismissal and 80 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £158.15. Fuel Dismissal and three months detention Computer components Dismissal and 66 days detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Six months forfeiture of seniority and Reprimand Taking a vehicle without consent Admonished Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Fined £50 and pay suspended to the amount of £200 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Fined £750 Taking a vehicle without consent Admonished Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in damage Pay suspended to the amount of £2,830.08 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Dismissal and two years detention and Reduced in rank Rifle breech bolts and various live rounds 56 days detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident 112 days detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Fined £450 Taking a vehicle without consent Fined £750 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident 28 days detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in damage 42 days detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in damage Reduced in rank Taking a vehicle without consent Fined £650 Taking a vehicle without consent Fined £650 Taking a vehicle without consent Reduced in rank In possession of rifle without lawful authority 2004—13 Guilty/proven verdicts Fine of £1200 Caught in act of burglary 28 days detention and paid stopped to the amount of £373.22 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Reduced in rank Diesel fuel Fined £500 Taking a vehicle without consent 28 days detention and Reduced in rank Camera 26 days detention and Reduced in rank Camera 140 days detention Aggravated taking of a vehicle Reduced in rank and fined £4000 Unspecified MOD equipment 28 days detention and compensation of £3,000 paid Aggravated taking of a vehicle Fined £250 Blank ammunition Dismissal Money and memorabilia Police caution Two military boots Police caution Two hot weather jungle boots 2005—15 Guilty/proven verdicts Dismissal and six months detention £800 Dismissal and 84 days detention Six boxes of spanners 11 months detention and Reduced in rank Laptop computer, camcorder and flat screen TV Dismissal, one year detention suspended and Reduced in rank Seven susat sights, two clansman casings, 89 various batteries, 32 cylumes and one image intensifier tube Dismissal, imprisoned six months and Reduced in rank £564.40, £89.15 and computer system Fine £300 Live and blank rounds, magazines, susat site, and gas plug and flash eliminator 42 days detention In possession of pistol and magazine without authority 28 days detention Ammunition Pay suspended to the amount of £1,000 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in damage 84 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £160 Fuel Dismissal and six months detention Computer equipment Police caution Two Army Radios Seven years and six months imprisonment Browning 9mm pistol 12 months community order, 80 hours community service and £1,105.52 paid in compensation. Various firearms, including SA80 rifle. Fined £400 RAM memory stick 2006—32 Guilty/proven verdicts 56 days detention 15 pairs of high-tech magnum boots Dismissal, imprisoned five years and 252 days and Reduced in rank Rifle 112 days detention and pay suspended to the amount of £500 Taking of vehicle without consent Pay suspended to the amount of £1,200 Aggravated taking of a vehicle resulting in an accident Dismissal and imprisoned for four years and 339 days Two SA80 rifles Dismissal and six months detention Fuel 84 days detention Services from Northern Rail Network Reduced in rank 30 high-tech magnum boots Reduced in rank 30 high-tech magnum boots Reduced in rank Sleeping bag, bivvi bag, two Combat 95 Shirts, three Combat 95 Trousers, four Live SA80 Magazines, Weapons Cleaning Kit, Poncho, Body Armour, Helmet, Helmet Cover, Gortex Jacket, Gortex Trousers, Desert Combat Body Armour Cover Reduced in rank Duplicate Iraq zone 1 medal Dismissal Two laptop computers Dismissal and 18 months detention Two motorcycles, and Land Rover and trailer 112 days detention Land Rover and trailer Dismissal and five years and four months imprisonment Pistol Dismissal and five years and eight months imprisonment and Reduced in rank Pistol Dismissal and five years imprisonment Makarov 9mm pistol Fined £1,500 Ammunition Six months detention, suspended for one year and Reduced in rank Component part of a firearm—regulator assembly(gas plug) Fined £300 Sabre 500,000 volt stun baton Fined £1,000, pay suspended to the amount of £1,500 Various items of Service property Dismissal, eight years imprisonment and Reduced in rank Components of firearms Fined £1,000 Computer base units Dismissal Medicines Fined £504, five days extra work and pay stopped for 30 days Socket set and taking a vehicle without consent 120 days detention Hand tool 56 days detention Body armour and night vision goggles Police caution Camcorder Final warning 7.62mm cartridges 12 months imprisonment Live ammunition, pyrotechnics and explosives Fined £490 Landrover Fined £650 Landrover 2007—33 Guilty/proven verdicts Fined £500 Seven iPods, one Sony music player, one MP3 player, one digital camera, 600 x cigarettes and one Stella Artois bottle. Reduced in rank Security seals Fined £400 30 litres of diesel Admonished Infringing copy of a copyright work Dismissal, 11 months and one day detention and Reduced in rank Two cameras and accessories Admonished Aggravated vehicle taking resulting in an accident Dismissal and Imprisoned for seven years and five months 9mm pistol and two magazines Six months detention Day sack, hi-tec desert boots, crampons, optimus fuel bottle, extremities gloves, alpine scarf, gloves, solar shower, white socks, pan set, primus omnifuel stove, two rope clamps, two rolls of velcro, fleece shirt, jacket, waterproof suit, duvet jacket, micro stove. 88 days detention and Reduced in rank Aggravated vehicle taking resulting in an accident 88 days detention Aggravated vehicle taking resulting in an accident Fined £3,000 and Reduced in rank Vehicle Trailer Box Body Fined £650 Taking a vehicle without consent Fined £1,000 and pay suspended to the amount of £650 Aggravated vehicle taking resulting in an accident Dismissal and 18 months detention Aggravated vehicle taking resulting in an accident Dismissal and nine years and 174 days imprisonment Pistols topslides, assorted working parts and ammunition Dismissal and nine years and 263 days imprisonment Pistols, topslides, assorted working parts and ammunition Fined £1,800 and Reduced in rank Ammunition—two signal kit pyrotechnic pistols and 16 flares One day detention Ammunition Dismissal and 30 days detention Aviation equipment 150 days detention and pay topped to the amount of £424 Arms and ammunition Dismissal, 90 days detention and Reduced in rank Overhead projector 105 days detention and fined £2000 Deactivated drill rifles Dismissal and 140 days detention Mobile phone Reprimand, fined £250 and pay suspended to the amount of £639.29 Aviation clothing Fined £563 and 14 days extra work Two combat shirts Fined £100 Ration boxes 42 days detention Items from dry provisions store 42 days detention Items from dry provisions store Dismissal and six months detention Stopwatch and attempted theft 150 days detention Three cyalume sticks, dive suit, and sundries Three years and six months imprisonment Palm computer, two digital cameras, tom tom sat nav Three years and six months imprisonment Palm computer, two digital cameras, tom tom sat nav Two years and six months imprisonment Palm computer, two digital cameras, tom tom sat nav 2008—32 Guilty/proven verdicts Dismissal, fined £1,000 and pay suspended to the amount of £41.51 Saw kit, digital camera, an electric engraving tool, hammer drills and eight piece plumbers holesaw kit. Admonished Helmet mounted night vision system 120 days detention and Reduced in rank 940 litres of fuel 60 days detention 940 litres of fuel Dismissal, 12 months detention and Reduced in rank Ammunition and pyrotechnics Fined £75 Night vision goggles Reduced in rank and pay suspended to the amount of £62.21 60 litres of fuel Reduced in rank and pay suspended to the amounts of £575.70 and £93.99 Watches Dismissal and seven months and 16 days detention Money 120 days detention, suspended for one year and Reduced in rank Ammunition Dismissal, 150 days dismissal and Reduced in rank DVD player 90 days detention and Reduced in rank Taking a vehicle without consent 28 days detention and compensation of £750 paid Aggravated vehicle taking resulting in an accident Dismissal, 15 years imprisonment and Reduced in rank Weapons and accessories Fined £750 Blank rounds Dismissal and 109 days detention Blank rounds Dismissal and five years and six months imprisonment Weapons Nine months' detention Ammunition Six months detention and Reduced in rank Night vision goggles Police caution Ration packs Police caution Ration packs Police caution Ration packs Police caution Ration packs Police caution Ration packs 12 months imprisonment Body armour, footwear, clothing and ration packs 12 months imprisonment Body armour, footwear, clothing and ration packs 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months +200 hours community order Body armour, footwear, clothing and ration packs Fined £500, £400 costs and £15 victim surcharge Computer parts 52 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years, 250 silver unpaid work within 12 months. Three military flares, one smoke grenade, canteen cutlery, cleaning flannelette, military batteries, ten thousand rounds of 22 calibre rifle ammunition 26 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years, 250 hours unpaid work within 12 months. Ammunition 12 weeks imprisonment suspended over two years, 250 hours community service and £1,000 costs. Ammunition