Army sergeant avoids jail for sexually assaulting two Marines

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 19:32 · Archive

A British Army sergeant has avoided jail after sexually assaulting two Royal Marines at a nuclear warfare training site.

Sergeant Martin Leatherbarrow, 42, has been 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 at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire.

The assaults occurred at the Defence Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centre near Salisbury, where Leatherbarrow was permanent staff. Both victims were Royal Marines attending a training course at the facility and were unknown to each other. During a drunken evening, Leatherbarrow stroked a male Marine's thigh towards his genitals and kissed him on the head. That same evening, he groped a female Marine's bottom and whispered 'God, you're so nice' in her ear. The male Marine was left feeling 'shocked, confused, and vulnerable', while the female colleague was seen crying following the assault.

Prosecutor Lieutenant Colonel Neil Keery told the court that Leatherbarrow became 'emotional' while discussing Afghanistan with the male Marine before stroking his thigh. The Marine tried to shuffle away and pushed his elbows into his sides to push Leatherbarrow away. A military judge condemned his actions as 'deliberate, consistent and entirely unacceptable'. The Daily Mail reports that Leatherbarrow blamed his behaviour on alcohol and post-traumatic stress disorder, citing the breakdown of his marriage. Leatherbarrow has served in the Army for more than 25 years and holds the Iraq medal and the operational service medal for Afghanistan.

How it is being reported

• British Army sergeant, 42, who stroked male colleague's thigh before groping female marine at UK's nuclear warfare training site is spared jailSergeant 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.Daily Mail · 13 Oct, 19:10
• British Army sergeant avoids jail after sexually assaulting two Royal Marines at nuclear training siteOne of Sergeant Martin Leatherbarrow’s victims says he was left feeling shocked, confused, and vulnerableThe Independent · 13 Oct, 10:23

In this story: Sergeant Martin Leatherbarrow · Royal Marines · Defence Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centre · Salisbury · Bulford Military Court

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