Soldier assaulted woman in pub after Princess of Wales joined in St Patrick's Day celebration

A soldier sexually assaulted a female colleague at a pub where the Princess of Wales had joined in St Patrick's Day celebrations.

Lance Corporal Shane Ritchie, 25, cupped the woman's bottom as he squeezed past her to go for a cigarette.

The incident happened on what was the Irish Guards' first regimental day celebration since the pandemic and had welcomed the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as guests of honour.

That day the Princess of Wales, who has since been made the new Colonel of the Irish Guards, presented sprigs of shamrock to members of the battalion on parade.

However, after the celebrations at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hants, in March last year, LCpl Ritchie's 'creeping' hand grabbed the bottom of his fellow soldier.

The father of two from Belfast denied the charge, claiming that only his shoulder 'brushed' past his colleague and that if there had been contact, it was accidental and therefore not sexual.

Giving evidence during the two day trial, the female soldier said she had been introduced to LCpl Ritchie at the celebration and described him as “really drunk”.

She said: "He looked like he couldn't really stand up properly, couldn't really focus his eyes on anything and when he spoke, he slurred his words.

"After I shook his hand, he said 'I've got a missus' but I wasn't interested, so I left."

She told the court she returned to some nearby sofas in the room to talk to a friend, when she felt the sexual assault take place.

"I felt someone come behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, slide their hand creeping down my back and then I felt them cup my bum," she said.

"As soon as I felt that, I turned to the side and saw it was [LCpl Ritchie] and just pushed him away.

"It felt really deliberate, I could feel the pressure. It was a firm touch - a grab."

The court heard she left the bar with a friend and immediately reported the incident to her chain of command - having texted the Regimental Sergeant Major personally and asked to see him the next week.

She told the court she was “unhappy” in her unit and considered it a “hostile” environment to work.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said: "My mental health suffered after the incident, I battled with suicidal thoughts.

"I feel like the whole regiment turned its back on me."

In mitigation, defence barrister Matthew Bolt said: "LCpl Ritchie's life is destroyed.

"He's lost his job, his career and his good name.

"This could be characterised as a moment of madness.”

LCpl Ritchie has now been dismissed from the forces and was handed a two year service community order.

Sentencing, Assistant Judge Advocate General Jane England told him his behaviour was “unsolicited, drunken sexual conduct”.

She added: "Not everybody [in this regiment] welcomed the widening of combat roles to females.

"She had suffered harassment, but you were not part of it.

"She went to the St Patrick's Day parade to fit in, unfortunately, she suffered more harassment from you.

"This is not the first time female service personnel have been made to feel unwelcome.

"Such behaviour must stop, females should be treated with the same respect."