Royal Military Police officer convicted of sexual assault after he put his penis on woman’s shoulder

A Royal Military Police officer wept in court today as he was convicted of sexually assaulting a female soldier by putting his penis on her shoulder, a court martial heard.

Corporal Edward Gadd had asked the woman to have sex and, after she refused, he tried to ‘bargain’ with her to carry out other sex acts at Pirbright Army Training Centre in Woking, Surrey.

The woman told the court that after turning down his suggestions, she saw Cpl Gadd’s penis out of the corner of her eye as he touched her shoulder with it before trying to get her to rub it.

The woman also accused Cpl Gadd of groping her breast and slapping her bottom but he was found not guilty of sexual assault on these two charges.

Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, heard the woman rejected his sexual advances before he started ‘bargaining’ with her by offering her peace and quiet for sex.

The court heard he would have left her alone for four weeks if they had ‘full sex’ or for three weeks if she gave him oral sex.

She again refused his advances, but he took out his penis and placed it on her shoulder when she was not looking, the court later heard.

The woman again told him no, and she claimed he then said he was ‘horny’ and went into her bathroom before she chastised him about his actions – a conversation she recorded on video.

Cpl Gadd denied assaulting her and said that although he asked for sex, when she said no ‘that was the end of it.’ 

Cpl Gadd (pictured furthest right in 2018) said he would have left the woman alone for four weeks if they had ‘full sex’ or for three weeks if she gave him oral sex, the court heard

Cpl Gadd, who enjoyed a 10-year career with the Royal Military Police and earned an operational service medal for his role during the Afghanistan War, will now be sentenced for one count of sexual assault at a hearing in February. 

The trial had heard Cpl Gadd and the woman were known to one another at the time and that day he was at her home while she did her make up.

The court heard she was kneeling in front of a mirror that was propped against her bedroom wall as she talked to Cpl Gadd who was sat on her bed.

Prosecuting, Commander Pete Barker said: ‘He reached again from behind her and squeezed her breast, she noticed around 30 seconds later the tip of his penis by the right side of her face on her shoulder.

‘She moved forward and turned around and saw he had pulled his penis out of his trousers and it was erect. He tried to make her move her hand on his penis and she told him to get off.’

The woman told the court: ‘He came in [to my bedroom] while I did my make up in front of the mirror.

‘So, I was facing towards the wall and he was just sat on the bed. He said we should have sex and I said no.

‘He then started bargaining with me with sexual acts that became less intimate. I said no to all his suggestions.

‘I saw his penis to my right side. He was not fully naked but it touched my shoulder.

‘He had pulled his trousers down. I saw it in my peripheral vision and I turned around at that point and said “get off” but he tried to rub my hand on there. So, I pulled it away.

‘I told him it was unacceptable behaviour.’

Cpl Gadd, who enjoyed a 10-year career with the Royal Military Police and earned an operational service medal for his role during the Afghanistan War, will now be sentenced for one count of sexual assault at a hearing in February

The woman told the court that after turning down his suggestions, she saw Cpl Gadd’s penis out of the corner of her eye as he touched her shoulder with it

Cpl Gadd had denied three counts of sexual assault at Bulford military court (pictured). He will now be tried in a criminal court for one count of sexual assault

She told the court he then went to her bathroom and she confronted him about his actions when he returned.

In a conversation she recorded in a video, she asked him ‘do you know what was wrong with what you did?’ and he replied ‘everything’.

That evening she texted Cpl Gadd to tell him not to come to her home again and blasted him for ‘putting it on me when I wasn’t looking after I said no’. Cdr Barker said Cpl Gadd ‘immediately apologised’ when she said this.

In an interview with police about the incident, Cpl Gadd said: ‘I did ask for sex, I will admit that, however she said no. I am not stupid, I am a Royal Military Police officer. She said no and that was the end of it.’

When asked by police about the alleged touching of her breasts and buttocks, he said: ‘Honestly I cannot remember at all, I have no recollection of that. I did not do it.’

When asked whether he put his penis on her shoulder, Cpl Gadd said he only touched her shoulders when she asked him to moisturise her back, adding: ‘This is mental. I did not do it. I rubbed her shoulders.

‘Why would I put my penis on her shoulder? It did not happen. I did not touch her with my penis. This is ridiculous.’