My terror as cadets waterboarded me, by Sandhurst recruit
AN officer cadet was waterboarded by two colleagues at Sandhurst just minutes after a meeting warning them not to abuse each other, a court martial heard yesterday.
Edward Flower, 20, had already reported Edward Wright to superiors at the renowned military academy attended by Princes William and Harry for making ‘ degrading’ comments about him.
But after their platoon had been warned about the consequences of mistreating fellow soldiers, Wright, 24, and cadet officer Jonathan Cox, 25, stopped their alleged victim as he tried to get to his room.
The court heard that Mr Flower, now a Second Lieutenant (2LT), was held upside down by his ankles and had his face sat on by Wright. The pair are accused of then wrapping a bandage around his face and pouring around a pint of water over his nose and mouth.
Such a torture technique replicates the experience of drowning and is banned in the UK.
It was notoriously used by the CIA on terror suspects after the 9/11 attacks.
Opening the case, prosecutor Colonel Richard Allen said the trio had just been at a meeting discussing the effects of mistreating each other.
The meeting had been called last August after 2LT Flower had complained about ‘aggressive’ Wright’s treatment of him, the court heard. Giving evidence, the alleged victim told how he had felt ‘dehumanised’ and ‘like a criminal’ as he was held down by his ankles and waterboarded at the Berkshire institution.
He said: ‘Wright would often belittle me in relation to my body size. He would say I was small and not strong enough. He was aggressive and highly confrontational.
‘We had been to a meeting that evening in relation to individuals’ behaviour and what is the correct way to treat each people.
‘Post the meeting we all dispersed to our rooms.’ 2LT Flower then described how Cox blocked the corridor with ‘his legs agape and arms out’, forcing him to attempt to crawl underneath.
‘He grabbed my ankles,’ said the junior officer. ‘After that he turned me over and was still holding my ankles. Wright was in close proximity to my head as he was behind Cox. Cox then lifted me up off the floor by my ankles.
‘I was feeling dazed as the blood rushed to my head. He put me back down and Wright then proceeds to teabag me while clothed –he stood over my head with his legs apart and his bottom touched my face several times. At this point I was lifted up again by Cox and I heard Wright say, “Let’s waterboard him”.’
The court was told that Wright opened a field dressing and wrapped it around 2LT Flower’s eyes, nose and mouth.
‘Wright picked up a water bottle and proceeded to pour a consider poured able amount over my face,’ said the officer. ‘He did so for about ten to 15 seconds. The dressing was then pulled back from my mouth and nose, still covering my eyes, and the water was poured on my mouth and nose.
‘It was suffocating and dehumanising. I felt like a criminal and I had done something wrong. I would say around 500ml was on my face. When it was poured on my uncovered mouth, I could not swallow it.
‘I tried to close my mouth and breathe through my nose but that acted like a suction and water went up my nose.’
He said the incident affected his mental health and prompted him to hand in a resignation request although he decided to stay in the military and now serves in the Royal Gibraltar Regiment. 2LT Flower denied suggestions the incident amounted to banter.
He added: ‘They were larger personalities than me and I was ostracised by my platoon. They were moved to adjacent companies but I still had to have a working relationship with them. We would see each other a lot.’
Wright and Cox both deny one charge of battery. The hearing continues at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire.
‘It was suffocating and dehumanising’