Army major raped female captain after party, court martial hears

AN ARMY major raped a female captain who became so drunk during a Burns Night supper she had to be put to bed early, a court martial heard.

The woman was horrified when she allegedly woke up naked next to Major Gregor Beaton with “absolutely no memory” of what had happened.

She had been “flirting” with another soldier throughout the evening and at first thought it was him, but when she saw it was Major Beaton, who she barely knew, she panicked. The court heard the female captain, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then suddenly had a “flashback [of someone] dragging her hips from behind”.

She woke Major Beaton, of the 14th

Regiment Royal Artillery, but he denied anything sexual had taken place.

The court heard that he claimed the woman had wandered drunkenly into his dorm and he had simply taken her back to her room where they chatted before he fell asleep in her bed.

Although he said he was “99 per cent sure” nothing had happened, the woman requested a medical examination later that day. That found Major Beaton’s DNA inside her and an investigation was launched.

Bulford Military Court, Wilts, heard that earlier on, during the “lively” evening, a female major had put the alleged victim to bed, dressing her in pyjamas and a T-shirt.

But when she woke, the captain was naked. When she said she confronted Major Beaton and begged him to tell her the truth, he allegedly told her she was wearing a blue nightie when they went to bed.

She said that later that day Major Beaton came into her room and asked her if she wanted him to take her into town to get the morning-after pill. It was then she decided to have the examination.

Prosecuting, William Peters told the hearing: “She had no sexual interest in the defendant whatsoever… She was falling-down drunk.”

Major Beaton denies a single charge of rape. The three-day trial continues.