Court martial: Female corporal 'performed sex act' at Army party

UPDATE: On 18th July 2008 Corporal Nicola Robinson-Humphreys was found not guilty by the court martial of the charge against her.

Cpl Nicola Robinson-Humphreys, 27, who has served in Iraq, sat in tears as graphic details were read out about her alleged behaviour in an army mess.

She is accused of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind, along with Sgt Major Alan Robinson, the officer involved and who she has since married.

The court heard that they were in the Military Police Corporals' Mess in Sennelager, Germany, last May, where the beer is extremely cheap and people would get extremely drunk.

Lt Col Mark Dakers, prosecuting, said: "A lot of alcohol was being consumed and then cries went round 'Naked Bar' and Robinson exposed himself."

He claimed Cpl Robinson-Humphreys then performed a sex act on him, adding: "That is not an offence in the privacy of their own home, but to perform an act of that nature in any mess would be disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind."

Sgt Major Robinson, a member of the Royal Logistics Corps, who has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Northern Ireland and several other campaigns, and his wife, who are currently serving in Catterick, North Yorks, pleaded not guilty when the charge was put to them.

Cpl Lee Davis, a former Military Policeman who has now transferred to a bomb disposal unit, gave the court martial in Colchester, Essex, a graphic account of what he saw while another Corporal, Phillip O'Grady, took a photograph on his mobile telephone of the couple.

He said: "I was drunk, but I could see them clearly at the bar. I heard someone say: 'He's got his trousers down' and when I looked I could see Sgt Major Robinson standing and I could see the top of Cpl Robinson-Humphreys' head moving backwards and forwards.

"It went on for five or six seconds and then she stood up."

He added: "Sgt Major Robinson had been drinking and he was drunk, but he was in control. Cpl Robinson-Humphreys seemed to be drunk."

Defending Sgt Major Robinson, Chris Hill suggested that Cpl Davis would not have been able to see what he claimed from the other side of the bar.

He said: “You could not possibly have seen his (Sgt Major Robinson) waist or his groin area considering the height of the bar.

”And if Corporal Humphreys had kneeled down on the floor behind the bar you would not have been able to see anything at all.”

The case, expected to last three days, continues.