Royal Navy sailor accused of punching female colleague five times in the face before dragging her across the road is cleared of GBH after telling military court he acted in ‘self-defence’

A Royal Navy sailor who was accused of punching a female colleague and dragging her across a road was today cleared of Grievous Bodily Harm charges.

Petty Officer James Brown was accused of throwing a ‘hard punch’ at Leading Hand Gemma Brice before dragging her along the road during a ‘melee’ outside a Subway sandwich shop.

A court martial heard LH Brice, who had been at a colleague’s leaving do, was left with ‘concussion symptoms’, a swollen eye and PTSD.

PO Brown, of HMS Clyde, was out celebrating a friend’s 30th birthday and did not know LH Brice before the brawl involving several sailors.

The panel at Bulford Military Court, Wilts, deliberated for just under two hours before acquitting PO Brown of GBH today.

During the two-day trial, the court was shown CCTV footage of the brawl in which PO Brown allegedly dragged LH Brice ‘along the road’ as a fracas broke out between a large group of sailors.

PO Brown said he was acting in self-defence during the fight.

Lieutenant Commander Andrew Ramage, prosecuting, told Bulford Military Court the incident happened outside a Subway shop in Portsmouth, Hants, in the early hours of July 23 2022.

He said: ‘LH Brice was caused numerous physical injuries and suffered PTSD.

‘The melee begins because LH Brice knocks someone else’s glasses on the floor, there is clearly tension in the group.’

Lt Cdr Ramage added: ‘[CCTV] shows PO Brown getting involved initially as a peacemaker.

‘At 3.18 he pursues [another sailor], LH Brice then approaches PO Brown with her arms out and he throws one hard punch.

The court was shown CCTV footage of a brawl between PO Brown and LH Brice (pictured). PO Brown insisted he was acting in self defence

‘This causes her to fall on the floor, the action also pulls PO Brown to the floor.’

Lt Cdr Ramage said that LH Brice was taken to a nearby nightclub for medical treatment before being put in a taxi to attend A&E at nearby Queen Alexandra Hospital.

LH Brice suffered a head injury, a swollen left eye which she was initially told was fractured, a wound to the back of her head which required five stitches and her middle right finger was broken in half.

Recounting the night she said: ‘My last memory was being inside Subway and joking.

‘I have got a memory of it being tense, everything was very tense and then I remember sitting up and there was blood on the back of my head and I could not see out of my eye.’