Key facts
- US military failed to notify UK police of a drink-driving allegation against airman Christopher Mooty.
- The failure prevented British authorities from investigating the offense, breaching a formal agreement.
- Mooty was disciplined internally by the USAF for the March 2023 incident.
- A year later, Mooty was convicted in a British court for a second drink-driving offense.
- The USAF stated it handled the first incident internally due to lack of police stop and chemical testing.
The US military failed to notify British police of a drink-driving allegation against an airman stationed in Suffolk, England, in March 2023. This breach of a formal agreement, in place since the 1950s, prevented UK authorities from investigating the offense. Airman Christopher Mooty was reportedly disciplined internally by the USAF, receiving 20 days of hard labor and a demotion. The USAF stated it handled the case internally because Mooty was not stopped by UK law enforcement at the time and no chemical testing was available. A year later, Mooty was arrested by Suffolk police for a second drink-driving offense and subsequently convicted in a British court in August 2024, receiving a one-year driving ban and fines totaling £871. On this second occasion, the USAF did not intervene and allowed British authorities to prosecute.