Air Force Act 1955

44 Offences in relation to public and service property

(1) Any person subject to air-force law who—

(a) steals or fraudulently misapplies any public or service property, or is concerned in or connives at the stealing or fraudulent misapplication of any public or service property, or

(b) receives any public or service property knowing it to have been stolen or to have been fraudulently misapplied, or

(c) wilfully damages, or is concerned in the wilful damage of, any public or service property, or

(d) by wilful neglect, causes damage by fire to any public or service property,

shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment or any less punishment provided by this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions of this section, any person subject to air-force law who—

(a) wilfully damages, or is concerned in the wilful damage of, any of Her Majesty's aircraft or aircraft material, or

(b) by wilful neglect causes the damage or loss of any of Her Majesty's aircraft or aircraft material, or

(c) without lawful authority disposes of any of Her Majesty's aircraft or aircraft material,

shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment or any less punishment provided by this Act.

(3) Any person subject to air-force law who during a state of war wilfully and without proper occasion or negligently causes the sequestration by or under the authority of a neutral state or the destruction in a neutral state of any of Her Majesty's aircraft shall, on conviction by court-martial, be liable to imprisonment or any less punishment provided by this Act:

Provided that if he has not acted wilfully or with wilful neglect he shall not be liable to imprisonment for a term exceeding two years.