A top naval officer, who was relieved of his warship command for drinking, has been fined $2000 and ordered to undergo alcohol counselling after a drunken escapade in Vanuatu.
Commander John Butcher was relieved of his command of the Anzac warship Te Mana the day it arrived back in port last month after an overseas deployment.
It followed a party ashore in Port Vila last month when he was believed to have downed glass after glass of wine at an official function at the New Zealand High Commission in Port Vila.
He was said to be under the influence of alcohol and lost control.
Cdr Butcher was found guilty today to charges of drunkenness, bringing the service into discredit and inappropriate language. The charges were laid under the Armed Forces Discipline Act.
In addition the fine and alcohol counselling ordered he was also officially reprimanded and ordered to apologise in writing to the New Zealand high commissioner in Vanuatu.
Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Tony Parr said in a statement today the incident was disappointing for the navy and the New Zealand Defence Force.
"By taking swift action on this incident the navy has sent a strong message to all ranks that alcohol abuse is not acceptable and instances of it will be quickly and appropriately dealt with.
"Cdr Butcher is a highly trained and experienced officer who still has much to offer the navy and New Zealand.
"While he will not be returning to command HMNZS Te Mana, I am confident he will learn his lesson from this incident and will now focus on continuing his career in the navy."
A new skipper for Te Mana, Cdr David Toms, was appointed the day Cdr Butcher was relieved of his command.
The navy said Te Mana was never in danger and there was never a risk to the crew because of Cdr Butcher's drinking.
