Navy
Royal Navy Officer Jailed For Sexually Assaulting Sleeping Woman
A married Royal Navy officer has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting a woman while she was asleep.
Lieutenant Peter Coughlin was convicted of the assault, which took place at his room at Musannah airbase in Oman, in what the judge called an "episode of pure madness".
Judge Advocate Robert Hill said Coughlin was "clutching at straws" in his belief the victim was sexually attracted to him as he sentenced him for an offence of sexual assault by penetration with his fingers.
Judge Hill said:
"In an episode of pure madness you failed to resist the temptation. She trusted you completely."
Judge Hill also praised the officer's wife for standing by her husband. He said:
"It would be remiss of me if I didn't pay respect to the position of your wife, also a serving officer. The court commends her strength of character, resilience and fortitude."
Coughlin was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period.
The prosecution described how the 34-year-old had been drinking with the victim at a hotel in Muscat near the airbase before going back to his cabin.
The pair smoked a shisha pipe outside before Coughlin invited her into his room.
They went in to watch a movie but the she fell asleep before he could get his laptop working.
Lieutenant Colonel Will Peters, prosecuting, said:
"The next thing that happened was she woke up on Lt Coughlin's bed. It was light outside. She awoke and appreciated what was going on, she instantly jumped off the bed, he immediately said sorry and she left the cabin."
In a video interview shown to the court the victim said Coughlin’s actions had "made her skin crawl".
She said:
"I felt physically sick, I couldn't really understand what had just occurred, I just burst into tears. I went to have a shower, I tried to process it, I should never, never have gone into his cabin."
"There was no form of consent in any manner, he thought he could just get away with it."
Lieutenant Coughlin had claimed she was awake at the time and consented and she had been flirtatious earlier when passing a piece of fruit to him with her mouth.
He was sentenced following a court martial trial at Portsmouth Naval Base.
Cover Image: Portsmouth Naval Base
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