A Royal Navy officer was severely reprimanded after refusing to sail with his ship because he was stressed.

Navigating officer Lieutenant Michael Plumb told his commanding officer he would not return to fishery patrol boat HMS Guernsey after a leave break because he had had enough of service life, a court martial was told yesterday.

Plumb, of Shoreham, pleaded guilty to using insubordinate language and to wilful disobedience for failing to wear a uniform before a superior officer who was questioning him about his refusal to set sail.

The court martial cut three-and-a-half years' seniority from his service record and fined him £750.

The court at HMS Nelson in Portsmouth heard that in October last year Plumb told his commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Adam Lunn that he had been unhappy with naval life for some time and wanted out of the service.

Lieutenant Andrew Murdock, prosecuting, said the 28-year-old, who had been in service for five years, had showed a disrespect for authority.

Lt Murdock said: "Plumb was asked why he did not want to sail and he stated that for some time he had been unhappy with the Royal Navy. He said he could not get job satisfaction and did not like the disruption of service life.

"He was ordered to return to the ship where he stated he intended to resign and therefore didn't consider himself to be in the Royal Navy."

The court heard Plumb was then escorted off the Portsmouth-based ship before it set sail.

Lieutenant Commander Marcus Hallot, defending, said Plumb had been under intense pressure having to work with out-of-date navigational charts, substandard equipment and put up with drinking water that was "unfit for human consumption".

He said five cases of gastro-enteritis had been recorded on board HMS Guernsey following the vessel's refit before October last year.

Lt Cdr Pallet added Plumb had also taken compassionate leave to look after his sick wife, was suffering pain from his wisdom teeth and that his home had been flooded by the River Adur.

Giving character evidence, Plumb's Commanding Officer Lt Cdr Lunn said: "It was a one-off error of judgment.

Reprimanding Plumb, president of the court martial Commodore John Musters said: "Your bizarre assertion that you should no longer be subject to naval discipline showed a dismal lack of common sense and judgment. We seriously considered dismissal as a mark of the gravity of your misconduct but we have committed on balance for you to remain in the Royal Navy."