Latest news with #militarycourt
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Coldstream Guards band clarinetist dismissed from army after she admits 'predatory' behaviour by groping six male and female colleagues
A 'predatory' female musician in the renowned Coldstream Guards band groped and propositioned six colleagues, a court martial heard. Lance Corporal Caitlyn Hawkins asked one woman: 'Would your boyfriend mind if I kissed you right now?' A Judge Advocate heard she told another female soldier it was 'annoying that you are straight and this attractive - do you not want to try it?' before putting her hands on the woman's breasts and attempting to kiss her. On another occasion, the 26-year-old British Army clarinetist squeezed the genitals of a male colleague while 'staggering' back from a pub in London, a military court was told. The soldier pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four colleagues and committing disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind against two others. Assistant Judge Advocate General John Atwill has now dismissed her from the army and handed her a suspended sentence for her 'predatory' behaviour. The historic Coldstream Guards - recognised by the iconic red tunics and bearskin caps - is responsible for guarding the Royal Family and is famed for its high-profile ceremonial duties outside Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. Formed in 1650 and is the oldest continuously serving regiment of the regular British Army. Colonel Jim Carmichael, prosecuting, told Bulford Military Court that all of the offences were carried out against service personnel who were carrying out ceremonial duties alongside LCpl Hawkins in army bands. He told the board that on a date in May 2023, LCpl Hawkins was out drinking with other musicians at a pub in London. By the end of the night, LCpl Hawkins was 'heavily intoxicated' and she left the venue with three male colleagues. Col Carmichael said: 'On the way back, the defendant became rowdy. She was shouting on the street, she had slurred speech and she was staggering.' The court martial heard she walked up to one of her colleagues - who had offered to walk her home because she was drunk - and moved her face close to his in an attempt to kiss him. He moved away, and some time afterwards, LCpl Hawkins 'softly squeezed' his genitals for around two seconds and then repeatedly felt his crotch and buttocks during the journey back to camp. In a victim impact statement, the male soldier said the incidents caused him 'considerable emotional pain' and left him feeling 'disrespected and hurt'. It was heard that on that same walk home, she grabbed another soldier's genitals without his consent for around one to two seconds before he pushed her hand away. She also touched the buttocks of a third male colleague, who described her behaviour as 'inappropriate'. The Wiltshire court martial heard a second incident took place involving two female colleagues at a London pub in June 2024 when Hawkins was 'quite drunk'. The musician stroked one woman's back and kissed her on the side of the neck before asking 'Would your boyfriend mind if I kissed you right now?' Later the same night, at a different pub, LCpl Hawkins squeezed the woman's bottom before trying to touch the breasts of another female colleague, and undoing her bra. LCpl Hawkins moved away after being told to stop, but later told the woman: '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 victim pushed LCpl Hawkins away. A sixth victim said that between June and October of 2023, LCpl Hawkins had assaulted her on four occasions while they were out drinking, on one occasion putting her hand down the victim's trousers. Chris Cannon, mitigating, told the court that LCpl Hawkins had no previous convictions and had even been described as a 'model soldier' in character references. He said that she has since sought help for her mental health, and reduced her alcohol consumption. In a statement, LCpl Hawkins apologised to her victims and said she 'deeply regrets' her actions. LCpl Hawkins admitted that she can't remember the nights of the incidents due to alcohol consumption, which started to increase following the death of her father. 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 LCpl Hawkins' victims were left feeling 'disempowered' as he told her: 'The sad thing is had you followed the values and standards you agreed to be part of, you wouldn't be here at all.'
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Telegraph
Female Army musician sacked for groping six soldiers
A 'predatory' female musician in the Coldstream Guards groped and propositioned six colleagues, a court martial heard. 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'.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
IDF soldiers removed from duty, punished after refusing orders to return and fight in Gaza
Soldiers from the Nahal Brigade face repurcussions after refusing orders to return to fight in Gaza due to "a deep, internal crisis." Four soldiers from the 931st Battalion in the Nahal Brigade informed their commanders that they refuse to engage in any further fighting in the Gaza Strip, Kan News reported on Sunday. The four soldiers have been removed from active service for refusing orders, and three have been tried in military court, receiving sentences ranging from 7 to 12 days. The fourth has not been tried yet. The soldiers have all undergone multiple rounds of fighting in Gaza and have all lost friends in the war. One of the four was injured on the Gaza border in 2024, and after recovery, returned to fight voluntarily. 'These things will be deeply etched into their souls,' one of their mothers told Kan. According to Kan, the four announced that their refusal to fight came out of a "deep, internal crisis," not fear. Despite this, the group claimed they were immediately imprisoned instead of being offered treatment. "Three soldiers from the Nahal Brigade refused to enter combat in the Gaza Strip,' the IDF responded to the incident. 'It should be noted that the soldiers were seen by a mental health officer (Kaban), who determined they were fit for combat. After a disciplinary process, the soldiers maintained their refusal and were therefore sentenced to imprisonment in a military jail." "The matter was handled with sensitivity and in accordance with regulations. The IDF views the refusal of an order very seriously, especially during wartime, and will continue to uphold discipline,' the military stated. Additional soldiers' refusal of orders This is not the first time that soldiers have refused orders to resume fighting in Gaza, nor is it the first time the IDF has seemingly disregarded its soldiers' mental health. Earlier this month, a Kfir soldier serving in Gaza repeatedly asked to see a mental health officer but was refused, even after threatening to take his own life multiple times. Only after his fellow soldiers brought the severity of the situation to the attention of their battalion commander was he granted a visit. In May, additional soldiers from Nahal were sentenced to suspended prison sentences after requesting to serve in rear-line positions because they were 'tired of the continuous fighting,' according to Walla. Other soldiers were driven by their anger, accusing the government of putting its desire to fight over the necessity of bringing the remaining hostages home. Last October, approximately 140 soldiers signed a letter expressing their refusal to continue to serve if the government did not advance a hostage deal. More recently, in May 2025, Capt. (res.) Ron Feiner was sentenced to 20 days in military prison after refusing to return to reserve duty after almost three hundred days of service. Feiner cited moral obligations related to both the war and the government's handling of hostage rescue efforts. 'I am horrified by the never-ending war in Gaza, the abandonment of the hostages, and the ongoing deaths of innocent people,' Feiner said in a statement following his sentencing. 'I cannot morally continue to serve as long as this doesn't change.' Solve the daily Crossword
Reuters
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Israel indicts soldier on charges he spied for Iran
JERUSALEM, July 17 (Reuters) - Israeli authorities have charged a soldier with spying for Iran in exchange for money, the police and security agency Shin Bet said in a statement on Thursday. The statement said the soldier, who was not named, had sent the Iranians videos of Israeli missile interceptions and sites hit by Iranian rocket fire in last month's 12-day war between the arch enemies. The security service said he had not sent material collected during his duties with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and added that none of the information given to Iran had been classified. However, the statement said: "This is considered a particularly grave incident involving direct contact between an IDF soldier and hostile foreign elements." A military court ordered that he should remain in custody until next week. News of the indictment came just one day after Israel launched an unusual, nationwide media campaign warning citizens against spying for Iran. The ads said people who took Iranian cash in return for information faced up to 15 years in prison. For its part, Iran has executed several people over the past month after they were convicted of collaborating with Israel and facilitating covert operations in the country.
Al Arabiya
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israel indicts soldier on charges he spied for Iran
Israeli authorities have charged a soldier with spying for Iran in exchange for money, the police and security agency Shin Bet said in a statement on Thursday. The statement said the soldier, who was not named, had sent the Iranians videos of Israeli missile interceptions and sites hit by Iranian rocket fire in last month's 12-day war between the arch enemies. The security service said he had not sent material collected during his duties with the Israeli army and added that none of the information given to Iran had been classified. However, the statement said: 'This is considered a particularly grave incident involving direct contact between an [Israeli army] soldier and hostile foreign elements.' A military court ordered that he should remain in custody until next week. News of the indictment came just one day after Israel launched an unusual, nationwide media campaign warning citizens against spying for Iran. The ads said people who took Iranian cash in return for information faced up to 15 years in prison. For its part, Iran has executed several people over the past month after they were convicted of collaborating with Israel and facilitating covert operations in the country.
