Senior soldier faces trial

A SENIOR soldier is facing trial in Townsville over allegations he propositioned his subordinate and demanded “what is wrong with my d--k” when she rejected him.

He faces three charges including two counts of acting indecently without consent and a single charge of assaulting a subordinate at trial after he allegedly groped the woman who worked directly under him at the time, and forced her hand on to his crotch after he spent the day drinking at the RSL.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, strenuously denied the allegations as the trial entered its second day at the RAAF Base Townsville on Tuesday. The highly ranked Warrant Officer Class One joined Townsville’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment in February and has served for more than 20 years including tours to ghanistan, the Solomon lands and Bougainville.

The Defence Force Magistrates Court was told the pair ran into each other at the Townsville RSL Club on September 19, last year, where they spoke a few times before they went outside to the smoking area alone.

Over about six hours the man told the court he consumed about five to 8 fullstrength beers and was “a bit

AfIsmerry” when he asked the woman about a sexual encounter she had with another ADF member on a previous posting.

The accused accepts he broached the topic but denied he said she “would not put up a fight” and was “good for it”.

It is alleged he told the woman he watched her from his office and that she has “sexy” eyes.

The Warrant Officer said it was his first social interaction with the woman who worked in the same office as him and that he had not seen her drink any alcohol that day. He said the woman drove him home via a nearby bottle shop where he purchased a carton on VB and a packet of chips.

Prosecutors say once they left the bottle-store the man directed her to an “isolated” park where he left the car for a cigarette before allegedly putting his hand on her waist and trying to kiss her and touch her breasts.

It was also alleged that as they drove from the park to his home, the man pulled the woman’s hand from the steering wheel and put it on his crotch before he demanded “what is wrong with my d--k”.

The accused denied this and said they drove directly home where they were met by his partner and two children.

The Defence Force Magistrates Trial, which is listed to run for the remainder of the week, continues.