Female Army musician sacked for groping six soldiers
Lance Corporal Caitlyn Hawkins, 26, was dismissed from the British Army after she pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of four colleagues and committing disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind against two others.
The clarinettist was handed an 18-month suspended sentence after a military court heard that she squeezed the genitals of a male colleague while 'staggering' back from a pub in London.
Colonel Jim Carmichael, prosecuting, told Bulford Military Court that in May 2023, LCpl Hawkins left a pub in London 'heavily intoxicated' with three male colleagues.
The court martial heard she walked up to one of her colleagues and moved her face close to his in an attempt to kiss him.
Some time afterwards, LCpl Hawkins 'softly squeezed' his genitals for around two seconds.
Col Carmichael said the male soldier was 'completely shocked' and said that for the rest of the journey to camp, she repeatedly put her hands on his crotch and buttocks.
On that same walk home, she grabbed another one of the soldier's genitals without his consent for around one to two seconds before he pushed her hand away.
She also touched the buttocks of another one of her male colleagues, who described her behaviour as 'inappropriate'.
'That's enough now'
Another incident, which took place in June 2024, involved two female colleagues. One described that when she arrived at the pub, LCpl Hawkins was 'already quite drunk'.
The court martial heard that after giving the woman a hug in greeting, LCpl Hawkins moved her hand onto the soldier's bottom, and then proceeded to 'stroke her back again and kissed her on the side of the neck'.
She asked her colleague, 'Would your boyfriend mind if I kissed you right now?'
In response, her victim said: 'That's enough now', and LCpl Hawkins left to go to the toilet.
Later that night, at a different pub, LCpl Hawkins again started to touch the same colleague, 'squeezed her bottom' and cupped her vagina over her clothing.
On that same night, LCpl Hawkins tried to touch the breasts of another female colleague before undoing her bra over her clothing. She was told to stop and moved away.
Later on, in the toilet at the pub, LCpl Hawkins told the colleague, 'it's really annoying that you are straight and this attractive - do you not want to try it?'
Col Carmichael told the court martial that LCpl Hawkins then put her hands on the woman's breasts and tried to kiss her.
The court martial heard of a sixth victim, who said that between June and October of 2023, LCpl Hawkins had assaulted her on four occasions while
The victim said on one occasion, LCpl Hawkins stood beside the woman and put her hand down her trousers, making 'skin to skin' contact.
'Willingness to treat them disgracefully'
Chris Cannon, mitigating, told the court that LCpl Hawkins had no previous convictions and had been described as a 'model soldier' in character references.
LCpl Hawkins apologised and said she 'deeply regrets' her actions.
She pleaded guilty to seven charges of sexual assault and two charges of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind at an earlier hearing.
She was handed an 18-month suspended sentence and dismissed from the Army. LCpl Hawkins must also carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and 35 rehabilitation activity days.
Judge Atwill said many of LCpl Hawkins's victims 'felt disempowered by your predatory behaviour' and were upset by her 'willingness to treat them disgracefully'.
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