Royal Navy officer sexually assaulted female colleague at Airbnb while she was passed out on ‘girls’ holiday’, court told

A Royal Navy officer sexually assaulted a female colleague at an Airbnb after a night out on a girls’ holiday, a court martial has heard.

Lieutenant Liam Humphries allegedly ‘took full advantage’ of the drunk sailor while the £3.5billion aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales was docked in Florida.

Having met the sailor at a nightclub in Daytona Beach, Lt Humphries is accused of molesting her while she was passed out at a flat she was renting with friends.

The sailor, who can’t be named for legal reasons, said she had no memory of leaving the nightclub and told a court martial Lt Humphries abused her ‘at my most vulnerable point’.

Lt Humphries was reported to Navy bosses when the sailor returned to HMS Prince of Wales. Bulford Military Court, in Wiltshire, heard the incident happened when the 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier travelled to the US.

The vessel – one of the most advanced warships in the world – this week became the Royal Navy’s fleet flagship, taking over from its sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth.

At Bulford Military Court, Lt Humphries denied one count of sexual assault by penetration, claiming the encounter was consensual.

Opening the case, prosecutor Colonel Jim Carmichael said the female sailor couldn’t have consented because she was unconscious.

The HMS Prince of Wales – one of the most advanced warships in the world – this week became the Royal Navy’s fleet flagship, taking over from its sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth

Col Carmichael said: ‘[The victim] was serving on board HMS Prince of Wales, also serving on board was Lt Humphries, he was an education officer.

‘The Prince of Wales docked in Florida, [the victim] with her friends decided to have a girls’ holiday in Daytona Beach, also present [in the city] were around 20 to 30 male officers.

‘[The victim] and her friends had some pizza and drinks, they went into downtown Daytona Beach for a night out.

‘Towards the end of the night she went into the toilet of the nightclub, she can’t remember anything between then and waking up in her AirBnB.

‘The first thing she can remember is waking up in bed with the defendant [performing sexual activity on her]… she had not consented to this.’

He continued: ‘In a text conversation [the victim] confronted the defendant about what had happened the previous night.’

When the defendant was interviewed under caution, he was asked about the sexual activity and said he had done so but was under the impression she had consented.

He went on to say that he had held her hair back while she vomited, the court martial heard.

‘She [then] got upset about her ex-boyfriend and left the room.’

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales arriving at Glenmallen on Loch Long, in Argyll and Bute, on November 22

At Bulford Military Court, Lt Humphries denied one count of sexual assault by penetration, claiming the encounter was consensual

 ‘The defence is….she consented to this. The issue in this case is a straightforward one, she could not have consented because she was unconscious at the time.’

The sailor told her friends the next day that she thought she had been spiked although a test at a clinic in Florida came back negative, the court heard.

When the sailors returned to HMS Prince of Wales she reported the incident immediately to the onboard police officer.

The female sailor said she was ‘vulnerable’ and that Lt Humphries ‘took advantage’ of her in a video interview shown to the court martial.

In a police interview, she said: ‘I didn’t feel like myself.

‘I thought I just want this to be over, I don’t want this to happen to me.

‘He took full advantage of me when I was passed out.

‘I didn’t think this would ever happen to me.

‘At my most vulnerable point he took advantage of me.’

HMS Prince Of Wales is one of the most prestigious vessels in the Royal Navy, housing more than 1,500 personnel and up to 48 stealth fighter jets.

The trial, which is expected to last a week, continues.