A British Military soldier accused of fondling a feminine colleague’s breasts whereas she slept has been cleared of sexual assault after telling a court docket martial he had merely been reaching for a TV distant management.
Trooper Ratu Salabogi was accused of groping the lady after she fell asleep on a settee whereas watching a movie on a military base.
Others claimed to have noticed the 29-year-old Fijian groping her within the early hours of the morning after which woke the feminine soldier.
Trooper Ratu Salabogi has been cleared of two counts of sexual assault after a navy trial
It was alleged Mr Salabogi had later apologised to the lady and advised her he thought she had ‘preferred it’.
He denied two prices of sexual assault, saying that on the primary event he had been making an attempt to get the distant and the opposite time he was making an attempt to wake her, and was cleared on each counts.
He was additionally cleared of battery after it was alleged he punched one of many lady’s colleagues in an ensuing argument.
Throughout the trial, Wing Commander Michael Saunders, prosecuting, mentioned the incident occurred in a standard room of Bovington Camp in Dorset, the place Mr Salabogi and the feminine soldier had been within the Royal Armoured Corps.
He advised the listening to that two male colleagues had noticed Mr Salabogi fondling the lady’s breasts over her clothes on two separate events after which confronted him.
The prosecutor added: ‘He claims this can be a misunderstanding and others wrongly interpreted what they witnessed.
‘He says on the primary event he was retrieving a distant management and on the opposite event he was merely making an attempt to wake her up.’
Relating to the accusation of battery, Mr Salabogi mentioned he unintentionally struck one of many troopers whereas he was defending himself as a result of one other soldier was ‘turning into aggressive’ in direction of him.
Giving proof at Bulford Navy Court docket in Wiltshire, the lady mentioned: ‘I keep in mind placing the film on however I fell asleep midway by means of. I keep in mind being woken by [another male soldier] and he mentioned I needed to get up.
Mr Salobagi was cleared following a trial at Bulford Navy Court docket in Wiltshire
‘He mentioned [one of the other soldiers] caught Mr Salabogi touching my breasts whereas I used to be asleep.’
Cross analyzing the lady, Yogain Chandarana, defending, mentioned: ‘Mr Salabogi had by no means acted inappropriately or proven any curiosity in you earlier than had he? No. And also you had not proven any curiosity in him.
‘He was not apologising to you for touching you. He was apologising to everybody as a result of they’d acquired it mistaken and it was a misunderstanding.’
Mr Salabogi denied the 2 prices of sexual assault and one cost of battery and was cleared of all three.