British Army musician sexually assaulted colleague, court martial hears
Adelle Foster, a clarinet player in the Coldstream Guards, is alleged to have inappropriately touched a colleague on three separate occasions before mocking her protestations.
Musician Foster pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault at Bulford Military Court.
Cdre James Farrant, prosecuting, said the assault took place in the early hours of the morning after Musician Foster had drunk a bottle of wine.
He said the two women usually 'didn't get on that well' and argued about 'each other's behaviour'.
Cdre Farrant continued: 'Musician Foster moved closer to [the woman] and suggested that she, Musician Foster, give her a massage to help her sleep.'
The court heard the woman declined the offer, but the clarinet player started stroking her hand anyway.
Cdre Farrant said she continued to touch the woman's belly, breasts, and genitals, which the alleged victim told the court consisted of 'grabbing' and 'jabbing'.
The alleged victim was fully dressed, wearing jeans and a jumper.
Cdre Farrant added: 'All touching was over clothing. Eventually, Musician Foster said she was going to sleep.'
But the assault continued as 'Musician Foster began touching [her] again, this time on her breasts and bottom.'
'She began trying to take [the woman's] clothes off. She eventually stopped following [the woman's] polite protest.'
The alleged victim said 'no', but was mocked for this with Musician Foster 'repeating [her] protestations to her'.
Musician Foster initially stopped the alleged victim from fleeing the room, though she eventually escaped to a lift, where she called friends to tell them what had happened.
The court heard audio recordings the alleged victim had made of some of the interactions between the women that night.
After the woman said she had a partner, Musician Foster could be heard saying, 'I'm still going to touch you'.
The alleged victim then said: 'I don't find it comfortable, all this touching.'
Cdre Farrant told the court that Musician Foster sent the woman a message around 2.40am, after the alleged attack, which said she was 'just trying to be friends'.
The women met in person again that night, when the alleged victim reportedly told Musician Foster that she shouldn't have touched her.
According to an audio recording, Musician Foster responded: 'Before, when I was joking and touching you, I was joking.'
When shown this evidence in an interview, the musician said she did not remember having said she was joking.
Musician Foster also denied touching her colleague inappropriately.
The trial continues.
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