The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Recruit claims initiation killed military dreams
COURT MARTIAL: Teetotal marine says he was waterboarded with cider
A teetotal Royal Marine recruit told a court martial he was waterboarded with cider in a humiliating initiation ceremony near Arbroath.
Carlo Nicholson, who has never drunk alcohol, said after the attack at RM Condor he saw the bottles with Strongbow labelling.
The court previously heard claims the new 45 Commando recruit was forced to lie in a paddling pool of urine and vomit, fight other marines while naked and covered in cooking oil and eat dog food from a mess tin.
Other alleged tasks included running around camp naked, eating lard and dessert spoons of cinnamon, chilli or curry powder.
Ex-marine Ryan Logan, 25, is accused of waterboarding, battery and disgraceful conduct of a cruel kind.
Co-accused marine Ian Tennet, 32, is charged with ill-treatment of Mr Nicholson as a subordinate.
At Portsmouth Military Court yesterday, Fiona Edington was defending one of the accused, Logan.
She asked Mr Nicholson: “To confirm you say he (Logan) hit you with a belt once, and hit you with a new implement three times.
“And he had the bottles of cider when you were waterboarded.”
Mr Nicholson replied: “He was standing literally within touching distance with two bottles of cider. I could not see through the towel to see who was pouring the liquid.
“When I got up from the bench they were half empty, I think their tops were off and they looked like they were empty.”
Mr Nicholson left in December 2014 claiming it “destroyed” his dreams of a military career.
Mr Nicholson said he was ‘reefed’ – struck with a leather belt or rubber implement – if he came in late on tasks.
The court heard all new recruits took part in the initiations with four ‘strikers’ who helped to set them up.
Mr Nicholson spoke of roll mat sessions.
“You roll up a roll mat and put your arm through the centre and then you have to scrap with another bloke,” he said. “We were on our knees to do that. “Then the strikers poured cooking oil on us, so it was slippy.”
Kathy Bradshaw, defending Tennet, said: “At any stage did you say to the crowd or your opponent ‘I do not want to do this’ in regards to the roll mat fighting.”
Mr Nicholson answered: “I said to the bloke who I was fighting I didn’t want to do this but you have to when you are in that situation, you have to do it.”
Asked about having to drink liquid from a funnel, Mr Nicholson said: “I have no idea what was poured in after the Ribena.
“They said ‘do not worry’ but it was a blend of something, I could not tell you what it was. “I’ve never drunk alcohol in my life.” Logan and Tennet deny the charges against them. Logan claims he only struck Mr Nicholson once with a belt.
The trial continues.