Submarine officer accused of raping ‘vulnerable’ cadet

A NAVAL officer ‘pounced on the vulnerability’ of a teenage cadet by repeatedly raping her when she was drunk, a court martial has heard.

Lieutenant Rhys Christie, 29, was branded a ‘predator’ after he allegedly ‘exploited’ the young woman in his hotel room after two Navy nights out.

The 18-year-old – who was bought drinks by Lt Christie – was so drunk she vomited on the floor and said she had ‘no memory’ of events until she woke up ‘confused’ and naked in the officer’s bed.

Lt Christie then allegedly told her ‘you were asking for it’.

Yesterday, a court martial at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, was told Lt Christie’s colleagues tried to get the drunk teenager back to the ship ‘for her own safety’, but the officer insisted on taking her back to his room.

Moments after she woke up following the first incident, Lt Christie allegedly pinned her down on his bed by putting his knees on her shoulders and sexually assaulted her.

Prosecutor William Peters said Lt Christie, former commanding officer of Edinble. burgh-based training vessel HMS Archer, ‘abused his position of authority’.

He added that the girl was raped after nights out in a town in Scotland and in Kent. The second incident was three days before her 19th birthday.

Lt Christie – who now serves on nuclear submarine HMS Vengeance – denies five counts of rape.

Mr Peters said the pair had been part of a group watching Six Nations rugby at a pub in Eyemouth, Berwickshire.

He added: ‘In the pub, the pair sat next to each other and he started playing with her leg, making her feel uncomforta

‘She got very drunk’

She got very drunk. She was sick all over the floor.

He added: ‘[A colleague] wanted to escort her back to the ship for her own safety... Christie intervened and said he would take her back to his hotel for her safety.

‘It illustrates how much in need of a safe haven she was when Christie pounced on her vulnerability and took her back to his room to exploit that very weakness. He was a predator.’

Ellie Fargin, defending, argued that the cadet officer had been ‘flirting’ with her ship’s captain during nights out in Eyemouth and Ramsgate. She said the alleged victim was ‘playing footsie’ with Lt Christie in the pub in Eyemouth and went to his hotel room voluntarily.

The trial continues.