Chief Petty Officer Jerome Donald pleads not guilty to assaulting guard in Japan

A senior Australian Navy officer from Sydney is fighting allegations he wanted to have a “crack” at a younger female guard before assaulting her on the HMAS Parramatta in Japan.

Chief Petty Officer Jerome Donald faced a Defence Force Magistrates hearing on September 26, 2023. Picture: Sam Turner

A leading naval officer is fighting charges he allegedly pulled a female subordinate towards him and kissed her multiple times on the cheek during a deployment in Japan.

Chief Petty Officer Jerome Michael Donald, of Sydney, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assaulting a guard and their alternatives at a Defence Force Magistrates tribunal hearing on Tuesday, denying the alleged assaults took place.

The prosecution alleged the 47-year-old assaulted a female guard aboard the HMAS Parramatta while they were docked in Sasebo, Japan in late June, 2022.

Captain Glenn Mohammed said the senior naval officer returned from a night out “intoxicated” and allegedly pulled the female guard towards him and kissed her on the cheek a number of times.

Captain Mohammed further alleged Chief Donald later pulled the woman close to him and kissed her on the cheek again.

The HMAS Parramatta. Picture: Contributed

During her evidence the complainant said she was on guard when she spoke to Chief Donald and others about a “junior” who had been “flirty” with her earlier in the evening.

In her evidence she alleged Chief Donald said he “taught” the junior that and said words to the effect of if the junior “didn’t have a crack”, he would.

Chief Petty Officer Jerome Donald left in a rush after his hearing on Tuesday. Picture: Sam Turner

Captain Mohammed asked the complainant what she thought this meant, who interpreted it as trying to “flirt with” or “sleep with or kiss”.

The complainant alleged the senior officer pulled her from around her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek, before he put his hand around her waist, pulled her and kissed her cheek again, labelling both occasions as “forceful”.

Lieutenant Commander Matthew Tyson in defence put to the complainant the alleged assaults or extended conversation never happened at all and said she had a “poor recollection” of the evening.

The defence barrister said this was evident in the fact she did not record the alleged interaction in a daily occurrences log or report it to her chain of command on the day.

Chief Petty Officer Jerome Donald hurriedly leaving the hearing.

The complainant curtly replied he wouldn’t be able to “find a female alive” who would detail that on the log as it could be publicly seen on the ship.

Lieutenant Tyson told the female complainant she was there to give evidence and “not speeches” as Chief Donald’s career was “at stake”.

The senior officer’s barrister told the tribunal others had spoken to Chief Donald after the alleged incident and said he was “lucid” that night and was on duty the next morning.

He suggested the complainant was making up the allegations to “discredit” Chief Donald and in “loyalty” to a friend who helped her get out of duty watches on the ship.

Three witnesses and an investigator were cross examined at the tribunal, including the “junior” who said he did not recall flirting.

Two other witnesses who the prosecution say were present during the alleged incident did not recall seeing any alleged assaults or an extended conversation.

The tribunal continues on Wednesday.