Royal Navy chef sexually assaulted male colleague after luring him into the ship’s scullery but is spared prison after military court hears he was ‘confused about his sexuality’

A Royal Navy chef lured his colleague into a warship’s scullery before locking the door and sexually assaulting him, a court martial heard.

Able Seaman Liam Pritchard told his victim, who he had already groped on another occasion, he wanted to meet, because he was suffering from a ‘low mood’.

The sailor, who remains anonymous, ‘reluctantly agreed’ to meet with the 23-year-old in the HMS Northumberland’s scullery because he wanted to ‘help’ him.

But when he got there, AB Pritchard locked him in and assaulted him.

Over a 45 minute period, the ‘persistent’ Navy chef subjected his colleague to a ‘prolonged detention’ by asking to kiss him, hug him, and grabbing his bottom.

AB Pritchard was convicted of the attack following a trial earlier this year and has been described as being ‘confused about his sexuality’.

Now, he has been kicked out of the Navy, handed a two-year suspended sentence and has been asked to pay £1,000 to his victim.

Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, heard AB Pritchard – who joined the Navy in March 2022 – was working as a chef on the Type 23 frigate last year.

The vessel carries out a variety of maritime security operations, including counter-piracy, escort duties and boarding operations.

It was heard after AB Pritchard met his victim, who was also working on the ship, they began to exchange messages on Snapchat.

His colleague was said to be ‘open about his sexuality’ and was under the impression the chef was straight, Assistant Judge Advocate Jane England said.

Last year, the chef shared a ‘consensual’ drunken kiss with the seaman while on board the ship, it was heard.

The judge described an incident which took place in the summer of last year.

AB Pritchard ‘tried to undress’ his victim and groped his bottom over his trousers, the court heard (Pictured: AB Liam Pritchard outside Bulford Military Court, Salisbury, Wiltshire)

AB Pritchard was sitting opposite his victim and began ‘touching his leg’ with his, before moving over and groping his crotch 10 times.

The victim was ‘taken aback’ by what had happened.

The judge told AB Pritchard: ‘He messaged you to tell you that what you had done was wrong. That should have been a warning to you.’

Later that month, AB Pritchard messaged his victim to ask him to meet up to discuss his mental health and ‘low mood’.

His shipmate ‘reluctantly agreed’ to meet him because he ‘wanted to help’, the judge said.

She explained: ‘Once in the scullery, you locked the door and removed the key. That was his only means of escape.’

The judge said the pair were talking and AB Pritchard ‘kept asking’ his colleague for another kiss, to which he declined.

While locked in the room, the 23-year-old asked his colleague for a hug to which he ‘eventually’ agreed.

But, the seaman ‘took advantage of that’ and ‘tried to undress him’, it was heard.

He placed his thumbs into his belt and groped his bottom over his trousers.

‘You were persistent and, in his view, quite aggressive,’ the judge said to AB Pritchard.

The chef eventually let his victim leave.

It was heard AB Pritchard’s victim was left with depressive and suicidal thoughts after the assault in July last year.

He said in a statement: ‘I was feeling like the life I once had had been stripped away from me and I will never return to my normal former self.

‘These incidents isolated me from my family and my friends as I did not feel I could talk to them about these incidents as I felt ashamed.’

He said the events have had a ‘massive impact’ on both his personal life and career, and he still suffers ‘flashbacks’ of what happened to this day.

Lieutenant Colonel Emma Whiting, prosecuting, said the seamen had episodes of panic attacks after the incident and felt ‘unsafe’ on board.

Mitigating, Michael Green, said AB Pritchard ‘continues to deny these offences’.

He said: ‘What happened on board was an unusual set of circumstances.

‘A young man, just turned 22 at the time, perhaps being confused about his sexuality – perhaps being confused about [a] consensual kiss.’

The barrister referred to a probation report which speculated that AB Pritchard’s actions were ‘misguided attempts to work out his sexuality’.

Mr Green said that, despite the pair spending 35 to 45 minutes in the scullery, the offence itself was ‘very short-lived’.

He said AB Pritchard was ‘someone who had worked hard during his time on board’, had ‘impressed his chain of command’, and also had a ‘real skill and passion for cooking’.

AB Pritchard pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault, but was convicted at a trial earlier this year.

Now, the chef has been removed from the Royal Navy and handed a six-year custodial sentence, which has been suspended for two years.

Judge England told the chef: ‘You did [sexually assault him] on two separate occasions and it was clear that it was not what he wanted.’

She said ‘there’s more to being a sailor than being good at your job’, including treating colleagues ‘with respect’.

‘You did not do that,’ she said.

Speaking of the victim, she said: ‘I hope that with help and time, he will come to realise that he is not to blame for these offences and that he should have no need to feel shame.’

AB Pritchard will pay £1,000 compensation to his victim, carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and carry out 30 rehabilitation activity days.