Soldier who groped colleague’s bottom at party attended by the Waleses is sacked

A SOLDIER has been dismissed from the Army after he sexually assaulted a female colleague in a pub where the Princess of Wales had joined in St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

L/cpl Shane Ritchie, 25, cupped the woman’s bottom as he squeezed past her to go for a cigarette. The incident happened at the Irish Guards’ first regimental day celebration since the pandemic, and the Prince and Princess of Wales were guests of honour.

The Princess, who has since been made the Colonel of the Irish Guards, presented sprigs of shamrock to members of the battalion on parade. However,

after the celebrations at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hants, in March last year L/cpl Ritchie’s “creeping” hand groped the bottom of his fellow soldier.

The father of two from Belfast denied the charge, claiming that if there had been contact, it was accidental and not sexual. However, he has been dismissed from the Armed Forces and was handed a two-year community service order.

Giving evidence at the court martial at Bulford Military Court in Salisbury, the female soldier said she was introduced to L/cpl Ritchie at the celebration and described him as “really drunk”. She said: “He looked like he couldn’t stand up properly and he slurred his words. After I shook his hand, he said ‘I’ve got a missus’ but I wasn’t interested, so I left.”

She told the court she returned to some nearby sofas to talk to a friend, when the assault took place. “I felt someone come behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, slide their hand down my back and cup my bum,” she said. “I turned and saw it was [L/cpl Ritchie] and just pushed him away.”

Sentencing, Assistant Judge Advocate General Jane England told him his behaviour was “unsolicited, drunken sexual conduct”. She added: “This is not the first time female service personnel have been made to feel unwelcome. Such behaviour must stop.”