ROYAL NAVY SAILORS JAILED FOR DRUNKEN SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HUMILIATION
A sailor who committed a serious sexual offence involving assault and humiliation on a colleague has been sentenced to five years in prison.Andrew Donaldson, aged 24, was found guilty of inserting the neck of a beer bottle into the victim's bottom during a drunken incident aboard HMS Northumberland, which was moored at an air show in Bournemouth.
The incident was filmed on a mobile phone as part of a drunken prank, and the footage was shared among crew members, causing widespread shame.
The court heard that Donaldson handed his phone to a friend and explicitly mentioned his intentions before committing the act.
He later saved the footage on his email for others to see.
The incident caused the victim significant physical and psychological harm, including two small cuts inside his anus and a feeling of being assaulted again during a rectal examination.
Donaldson was convicted of assault by penetration and was dismissed from the Royal Navy with disgrace.
He was also made to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely.
The judge, Judge Robert Hill, described the actions as bringing 'shame and disgrace' on the Royal Navy.
Donaldson admitted that he did it 'for a laugh,' but the court condemned his actions as a serious sexual offence.
The court also sentenced another defendant, Leading Seaman Christopher Cook, aged 31, for similar disgraceful conduct, including slapping the victim's face with his penis repeatedly and taking photographs next to the victim's anus while he was unconscious.
Cook received a sentence of 15 months detention at a military detention centre and was also dismissed from the navy with disgrace.
The incident was heavily condemned by the judge, who emphasized that such behaviour was not acceptable for someone in a position of authority.
The incident took place on August 29, 2013, while HMS Northumberland was in Bournemouth for the air show.
The court was shown video footage and heard that the victim was heavily intoxicated and fell asleep in the crew area.
The male victim, who was in his boxer shorts, was ridiculed and humiliated in the aftermath.
Donaldson was arrested the day after the incident, and in police interviews, he claimed he did not understand why he did it, saying he was 'having a conversation with his drunken mind.' A victim impact statement described the experience as feeling like being 'assaulted for a second time' during the rectal examination, and noted that following the incident, he could no longer drink bottles of beer or be around drunk people.
The court highlighted that the behaviour was 'disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind' and showed a clear lack of decorum expected from naval personnel.
The pair were escorted out of court by Royal Navy Police officers, and a third individual, Roger Spratt, had already been disciplined for filming the incident.
HMS Northumberland is a vessel that has borne its name since 1679, but in this case, the reputation of the crew was severely tarnished by their actions.
The judge emphasized that this misconduct brought 'shame and disgrace' on the Royal Navy, and both Donaldson and Cook faced serious consequences for their actions.
