Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Navy captain ‘twice raped drunk cadet’
‘Predator’ lieutenant in court martial
A ROYAL Navy ship’s captain raped a drunken cadet on two occasions after boozy nights out, a court martial heard yesterday.
Lieutenant Rhys Christie allegedly raped the woman when she was so drunk that she had “no memory” when she woke.
On the first occasion she allegedly heard Lt Christie say “you were asking for it” and claimed the 28-yearold forced himself on her.
The court heard colleagues tried to take her back to the ship but the of ficer insisted on taking her to his room.
Lt Chri sti e, 28, th en commanding Edinburgh-based HMS Archer, stands accused of five counts of rape on two occasions.
The prosecution claimed the pair had consensual sex in between the two occasions but that her consent then was not a “blanket” consent. At Bulford Military Court, Wilts, prosecutor Mr William Peters said they had been with a group at a pub on the first occasion.
Mr Peters said she was so drunk she was sick and falling asleep, adding: “She was too drunk to choose to have sex with the defendant and that would have been obvious to him. He was a predator.”
Speaking from behind a screen, the alleged victim said he forced her into oral sex, adding: “Because of the drink I was not fully aware of what was going on.”
Mr Pet ers said that about three weeks later, when she was “extremely drunk”, Lt Christie raped her in a hotel. She said: “I was pinned down so I could not move.”
Lt Christie, who now serves on nuclear sub HMS Vengeance, denies the sex was not consensual. Trial continues.