Four testify at trial of officer charged with sexually assaulting two female soldiers

The defendant, who cannot be named by order of a military judge, has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting two non-commissioned officers in incidents on the night of June 25, 2020.

The judge, Colonel Michael Campion, also banned reporting the evidence of witnesses who appeared today before the court martial hearing at the Military Justice Centre in Dublin’s McKee Barracks.

The officer is alleged to have assaulted the two NCOs at a Defence Forces base which also cannot be identified.

The accused appeared before a sitting of a General Court Martial comprising a military judge and board – the military equivalent of a jury – which are used for cases involving t serious offences, and offences involving senior officers.

Today, four soldiers were called to give evidence in relation to allegations made by one of the complainants.

After they testified, Col Campion ruled that media reports could state that the proceedings were ongoing but that “detail of the evidence is not appropriate.”

He said that as the “matter is still ongoing” to do so would lead to a “danger of the process being compromised.”

The trial continues.