Court martial for marines who failed to stop recruits’ violent games
They struck bare bottoms with a keyboard strap called Big Red
FOUR decorated senior marines are to be sentenced at court martial for failing to stop junior ranks slapping each other’s bare backsides using a 2ft gel keyboard wrist support nicknamed ‘Big Red’.
Sergeants Richard Melia and Ian Spence and Corporals Robert Wake and John Arnett have all pleaded guilty to four counts of failing to perform their public duty during celebrations of the Royal Marine Corp’s 350th anniversary in October 2014.
The court martial at Portsmouth Naval Base heard that the four defendants ‘encouraged’ the activities which left four marines with bruising and cuts to their bottoms which led to them having difficulty sitting down and lying on their backs for two weeks.
Lieutenant Colonel Victoria Phillips, prosecuting, described how up to 50 marines had gath-
‘Scapegoating four men’
ered at a bar at the 42 Commando barracks at Bickleigh, near Plymouth in Devon, and had decided to take part in a game of ‘spin a dit’.
She described how the participant would stand, with their trousers and underwear around their ankles, on a table surrounded by other marines.
He would then take up the challenge of telling a story or singing a song to entertain the others, but if he failed to entertain, he would be subject to a ‘reefing’ with Big Red.
Lt Col Phillips said the number of hits would be determined by a throw of a dice, but if the participant called out ‘beef reef’, he would receive another hit and would then be allowed to hit the person administering the blows with Big Red.
She said: ‘They were struck on bare backsides by an implement called Big Red. Big Red, kept behind the J Company bar, was a red plastic rubber gel wrist support ordinarily used for wrist support when using a computer keyboard.
‘The junior marines who were involved in this reefing were both perpetrators and victims.
‘They haven’t been subject to any criminal charges because the focus in this case is, and should be, the conduct of those non- commissioned officers present. They were under a duty to stop what took place. Due to their presence and actions, they encouraged what took place.’
The court heard Spence also poured vodka on to the injuries of marine William Gibson after he had asked for antiseptic. Spence has pleaded guilty to illtreatment of a subordinate. Robert Pawson, representing married father Arnett, 33, who has since left the forces, said his client regretted not taking action earlier to prevent the injuries.
Christopher Hill, representing 33-year-old Melia, of the City of London Marine barracks, said his client had just joined the unit as troop sergeant the previous day and had ‘lacked the moral courage’ to step in and stop the game. Bob Williams, representing Spence, 37, who has also left the forces, said his client ‘never had the intention to encourage’ the others.
Gareth Evans, representing Wake, 30, of 40 Commando near Taunton said he did nothing that was intended to injure. The men will be sentenced today.