Captain denies exposing penis

THE second alleged victim of an army officer accused of repeatedly sexually exposing himself to women has told a court martial she was shocked and scared when he unzipped his trousers in broad daylight and began fondling himself as she walked past.

Captain William Howieson, 29 of Toowoomba, has pleaded not guilty three counts of indecency and one count of conduct likely to bring discredit on the defence force.

At a defence force court martial in Canberra, Captain Howieson’s second alleged victim said she was shocked when she saw him unzip his pants, expose himself and begin masturbating while looking towards her.

The alleged act of indecency took place in broad daylight at Taurama Barracks outside Port Moresby in late 2018.

The woman, who cannot be named, said she did not know Captain Howieson by name at the time, but recognised him as the only Australian soldier based at the barracks at the time.

She said he was standing next to a tree with his vehicle reverse parked.

“I saw him pull his zipper down, it was shocking and I ran,” she said.

“He was in his uniform, his ADF uniform.

“He was helping himself, like masturbating or something.”

When asked by Director of Military Prosecutions Brigadier Jennifer Woodward whether she consented to Captain Howieson’s alleged act of indecency, she said: “no, no, no ma’am”.

She said she immediately told her husband, but did not give him a full account of the incident.

“I wanted to tell him but I’m a bit scared,” she said.

“He might come and do something to him, that’s why I’m a bit scared.”

Asked, under cross-examination, whether Captain Howieson might have been urinating on the tree, the woman said: “I cannot agree with that”.

She said there was a toilet in a nearby building.

“We have toilets there, he should have gone in and used the toilet,” she said.

“I’m sure, I think he was masturbating.”

Captain Howieson also denies repeatedly exposing himself to a nurse under the guise of the nurse inspecting a nonexistent “lump”.

He is also accused of producing a fake note from a doctor saying it required the nurse to assist him with giving five sperm samples.

The court martial, before Defence Force Magistrate Brigadier Michael Cowen QC and a panel of five senior officers, continues.