Drunken Royal Navy sailor slapped female junior’s bottom and tried to take her back to a hotel room while ashore, military court hears

• Chief Petty Officer Ross Penney, 38, was set to sail on HMS  Richmond to the US
• He became ‘heavily intoxicated’ while drinking in a bar in France en-route  

A senior Royal Navy sailor slapped the bottom of a female junior he had become ‘fascinated’ with and pestered her to get a hotel room with him while ashore from his warship in France, a military court heard.

‘Heavily intoxicated’ Chief Petty Officer Ross Penney became ‘over-protective’ of his female colleagues, striking a junior male sailor and grabbing him by the throat.

The 38-year-old, who had served in the Navy for 17 years, then went on an ‘abusive and aggressive’ rant threatening to ‘fill in’ and ‘flatten’ other servicemen.

After admitting two charges of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind, another two of battery and misconduct through alcohol, he was handed an 18 month service community order.

Chief Petty Officer Ross Penny, pictured outside Bulford Military Court Centre became ‘fascinated’ with a female member of the ship’s crew before threatening a male colleague

Prosecuting, Major James Eveleigh told Bulford Military Court, Wilts, CPO Penney was serving on Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond which had come ashore in the French port city of Cherbourg, en route to a deployment in the United States.

‘He found himself drinking in a bar and found himself drinking rather too much as he became heavily intoxicated,’ he said.

The court heard CPO Penney was with junior members of the company, as Maj Eveleigh added: ‘As a result he became rather over-protective of female members.’

This ‘developed into a fascination’, for one female colleague – who cannot be named for legal reasons – who he slapped on the bottom.

After telling him it wasn’t acceptable and walking out of the bar, he followed her out and put his hand inside the back pocket of her jeans to touch her bottom, it was heard.

His persistent ‘sexually suggestive’ invitations to get a hotel room or go back to the ship together were rejected by the woman. Maj Eveleigh continued: ‘As a result of the over-protective attitude, he became aggressive with male members of the company.’

The court heard he ‘slapped’ Electronic Technician Jack Heale in the face and then ‘grabbed him by the throat’.

Prosecuting, Major James Eveleigh told Bulford Military Court, Wilts, CPO Penney was serving on Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond which had come ashore in the French port city of Cherbourg, en route to a deployment in the United States

‘As well as this physical and aggressive behaviour he continued to be aggressive and abusive,’ Maj Eveleigh said.

CPO Penney threatened to ‘fill in’ a colleague, described a chef as a ‘useless c***’ and said he’d ‘flatten’ another member of the crew.

Complaints were made about his behaviour over the following days and weeks, the court heard.

In a victim personal statement, the woman said she felt ‘stuck and overwhelmed’.

She revealed she needed counselling to help deal with its impact and that it ‘played a part in her decision to leave the Navy’.

In mitigation, Matthew Bolt said: ‘He know he fell below the standard expected of him on that night.’

He said CPO Penney had left the Navy and gone sober since the incident.

Assistant Judge Advocate General Darren Reed said: ‘Your behaviour was intentional and persistent. Service personnel have little choice where and with whom they serve, they work, eat, and socialise together. Those in a position of rank who abuse their position undermine the bond of trust which must exist between those who serve together, affects morale and ultimately operational effectiveness. Your behaviour has absolutely no place in the Royal Navy.’

He told CPO Penney that had he not already left the services, he would have had ‘no hesitation’ in dismissing him.

Instead, he was sentenced to an 18 month community service order – consisting of 200 hours unpaid work, up to 20 rehabilitation requirement days and 90 alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement days.

He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation each to ET Heale and the woman.

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