Guilty Verdict In Trial Of Officer Who Started Fire At 'Drunken Party'

Captain Rupert Nurich has just been sentenced to be severely reprimanded and ordered to pay £10,000 of compensation to Christine Baston who's room and belongings were destroyed in the fire.

Captain Nurich was found guilty of negligently damaging service property at a court martial trial, after a fire at Allenby Barracks.

On the night of July 22 last year two soldiers, Captain Nurich and Lieutenant Tim Carpenter of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, were involved in the fire at the barracks in Bovington.

After a dinner attended by around 50 soldiers and civilians, Lieutenant Carpenter admits finding some flares and handing a flare to Captain Nurich.

Captain Nurich admits that he fired the flare from the pool area of the barracks which then went through the window of a bedroom causing a 'substantial' fire.

10 fire crews tackled and eventually put out the blaze. 

Lieutenant Carpenter was found not guilty at Bulford Military Court yesterday to arson and to negligently damaging service property, due to insufficient evidence and acquitted.

Captain Nurich was found guilty by a board of five British Army personnel and is due to be sentenced later today.

Earlier the Prosecutor David Edwards addressed the board, he said:

"This was not a place where such explosives should be set off." 

He said the incident was 'not intentional' but 'negligent'. 

Robert Morris for the Defence earlier told the court:

"What happened was a tragic, freak accident."

He called the trajectory of the flare 'erratic' due to it being 'defective'.

Judge Advocate Alan Large told the court to expect sentencing later today.