Vice-Admiral William O'Bryen Drury had placed Heathcote in charge of the defence of the west Indian coast, orders which were confirmed by Commodore William Robert Broughton after Drury's sudden death in March 1811. Broughton subsequently went out with the Java Expedition, and was en route when arrived at Bombay carrying despatches. Aware that with Broughton absent, any important orders that the despatches contained might go unread for some time, Heathcote took the unusual step of opening them. The despatches contained a warning that eighteen French frigates, carrying between 3,000 and 4,000 troops, were expected to be sailing for Java to frustrate the British attempt to capture the island, and that the securing of the island by the British was considered vitally important for the future of British operations in the East Indies. Heathcote decided to leave his station and deliver the despatches to Broughton. Despite Heathcote's motives, Broughton was dissatisfied with his conduct, and requested a court-martial from the commander of the British naval forces, Rear-Admiral Robert Stopford.