A British Army sergeant who sexually assaulted two Royal Marines at a military nuclear warfare training centre has been spared jail after blaming his behaviour on alcohol and post-traumatic stress disorder.
asserted
who → assault → alcohol
Sergeant Martin Leatherbarrow, 42, stroked a male Marine's thigh towards his genitals and kissed him on the head before grabbing a female colleague's bottom and whispering 'God, you're so nice' into her ear.
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you → stroke → ear
The soldier, who served in the Army for more than 25 years, targeted the two junior-ranking Marines during a drunken evening at the Defence Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (DCBRN) Centre near Salisbury, Wiltshire.
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who → serve → Salisbury
A court martial heard how Sgt Leatherbarrow, who was a permanent member of staff at the facility, repeatedly made unwanted advances towards the pair while they were visiting the centre for a training course.
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they → hear → course
The male Marine was left feeling 'shocked, confused, and vulnerable', while his female colleague was seen crying following the assault.
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colleague → leave → assault
But despite a military judge condemning his actions as 'deliberate, consistent and entirely unacceptable', Leatherbarrow escaped a custodial sentence.
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Leatherbarrow → condemn → sentence
Instead, he was handed an 18-month service community order and ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to two charges of sexual assault.
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he → hand → assault
Bulford Military Court heard that Leatherbarrow, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was suffering from PTSD and drinking heavily following the breakdown of his marriage.
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who → hear → marriage
Sergeant Martin Leatherbarrow, 42, stroked a male Marine's thigh towards his genitals and kissed him on the head before grabbing a female colleague's bottom and whispering 'God, you're so nice' into her ear
Prosecutor Lieutenant Colonel Neil Keery said the two Marines had been attending a course at the DCBRN Centre in Winterbourne Gunner, which trains members of the Armed Forces to respond to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
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which → stroke → threats
On the final evening of their course, the pair visited the senior officers' mess, where they encountered Leatherbarrow, who they had never previously met.
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they → visit → who
Lt Col Keery told the court: 'During the course of that evening, the defendant subjected them to unwelcome attention and sexually assaulted them both.'
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defendant → tell → them
Leatherbarrow initially singled out the male Marine, looking him up and down and commenting on his 'vivid shirt', leaving him feeling 'uncomfortable and awkward'.
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Leatherbarrow → single → him
The sergeant then began discussing his experiences in Afghanistan and became emotional, prompting the Marine to offer him support.
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sergeant → begin → support
But Leatherbarrow took advantage of the situation by placing his hand on the man's knee and moving it up his thigh.
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Leatherbarrow → take → thigh
Lt Col Keery said: '[The male Marine] didn't want to interrupt him as he knew he was becoming emotional.
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he → say → him
The defendant placed his hand upon [his] knee and moved his hand up his thigh, up his leg, towards his genitals.
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defendant → place → genitals
'The defendant continued to stroke [the Marine's] thigh.'
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defendant → continue → thigh
The Marine attempted to shuffle away and used his elbows to prevent Leatherbarrow from getting closer.
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Marine → attempt → Leatherbarrow
But the sergeant persisted, putting his arm around the younger man's shoulder, pulling him towards him and kissing the top of his head.
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sergeant → persist → head
The Marine subsequently told others at the bar that Leatherbarrow had been 'handsy with him'.
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Leatherbarrow → tell → him
During the same evening, the sergeant also made a series of sexually inappropriate remarks towards a female Marine.
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sergeant → make → Marine
Lt Col Keery told the court: 'She said that the defendant said out of the blue, 'I promise I am not going to finger you'.
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I → tell → you
This made her feel uncomfortable, and she went into the snooker room.
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she → make → room
'Later, the defendant went into that room and tried to persuade her to join them again.
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defendant → go → them
'When she was leaving, she was sexually assaulted by the defendant.
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she → leave → defendant
He grabbed her bum on the right side and said in her ear, 'God, you're so nice'.
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you → grab → ear
Both Marines reported the assaults the following day.
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Marines → report → assaults
In a victim impact statement, the male Marine described feeling betrayed after attempting to comfort Leatherbarrow during their conversation about his military experiences.
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Marine → describe → experiences
He said: 'The incident itself, I felt emotionally used as I was giving emotional support.
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I → say → support
'When I heard about my colleague's experience and how she was harassed by him, it changed my mind about the incident.
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it → hear → incident
To be told that he pleaded guilty at the last minute, although it was a great result, it was a kick in the teeth.'
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it → tell → teeth
The court heard that Leatherbarrow, who holds the Iraq Medal and Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan, had since been medically discharged from the Army because of PTSD.
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who → hear → PTSD
His barrister, Annabel Hazlitt, said he had turned to alcohol as a form of 'self-medication' while struggling with his mental health and the collapse of his marriage.
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he → say → marriage
She said: 'This is a man who not only had good service, but you might think exemplary service, and was already facing a medical discharge for PTSD.
'
uncertain
you → say → PTSD
He had known nothing else.
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He → know → nothing
This came at a time of the breakdown of his marriage, self-medication of alcohol, and discharge from the Army.'
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This → come → Army
Leatherbarrow admitted both offences on the first day of his trial.
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Leatherbarrow → admit → trial
Sentencing him, Assistant Judge Advocate General John Atwill said the sergeant had ignored clear signs that his advances were unwelcome.
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advances → sentence → signs
Addressing the assault on the male Marine, he said: 'In relation to count one, you repeatedly directed personal attention towards him.
'
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you → address → him
You told him you preferred male company and asked him to go to the cinema with you.
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you → tell → you
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
