Staff sergeant sacked from Army after groping female soldier at military event

A staff sergeant has been dismissed from the British Army for groping and kissing a female soldier at a military event after getting “very drunk” on specially-brewed extra strong beer.

SSgt Matthew Davies, 35, grabbed the woman and kissed her on the lips and grasped the woman’s breast and waist on separate occasions in a series of “unwanted sexual advances”, a court martial heard.

The incident happened after SSgt Davies, who served in the British Army for over 18 years and fought in Afghanistan, drank too much beer named after the Army’s administrative disciplinary procedure - AGAI 67, the court heard.

SSgt Davies served in the 26 Regiment Royal Artillery and admitted a charge of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind and was dismissed from the forces at Bulford Military Court. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left feeling “embarrassed and humiliated” following the incident, a court martial was told.

The court heard SSgt Davies was drinking the lager which was brewed especially for the mess function at the regiment’s Larkhill Camp, near Salisbury.

His lawyer told the hearing the beer was “stronger than normal”. “The great irony here is the beer he drank was called AGAI 67,” his lawyer said.

The mess was operating a free bar for service personnel and SSgt Davies drank so much he was “slurring his words”, the court heard.

Prosecutor Captain Daniel Lawlor told the court: “He placed himself an eight or nine out of 10 of drunkenness.

“This is a case of a very drunk staff sergeant who made misplaced advances.

“Ultimately, she wasn’t interested in him and his conduct manifested in inappropriate touching.”

Cpt Lawlor said SSgt Davies put his arm around the woman’s waist, before telling her friend “I’ve got something for her”.

The prosecutor continued: “Later in the night, SSgt Davies put his hand on her waist and moved it around to her upper body.

“In the words of the complainant he then, ‘pulled at my boob’.”

The woman fled and reported the incident but a short while later on the dance floor, SSgt Davies “took her by the head and kissed her mouth”.

As a result the father-of-one was told to leave the function, before apologising to the woman via WhatsApp the next day for his behaviour, the court martial heard.

“This was a serious offence - a crass error in judgement which resulted in inappropriate touching,” Cpt Lawlor said.

Mitigating, Matthew Bolt told the court SSgt Davies was “extremely remorseful” for his behaviour.

“He accepts he drank too much on that occasion,” he said. “He drank a beer specially brewed for the event which was stronger than normal and he calibrated things very badly indeed. SSgt Davies is profoundly sorry and hopes she has put this behind her.”

Sentencing SSgt Davies, Judge Advocate General Darren Reed said: “You appear to have been heavily intoxicated.

“Over the course of an evening you made unwanted sexual advances.

“Taking everything into account, we are convinced this offence is serious enough to warrant dismissal.

“We don’t consider any shorter service community order will be sufficient.”

Because of SSgt Davies’ “exemplary record” and guilty plea, Judge Reed said there would not be an additional community order punishment.