Andrew Green: Trooper’s bum squeeze trial hears of big night out
The Defence Magistrates Court was told of alleged chaotic scenes following a “big night out” with senior officers allegedly extremely drunk before an investigation was launched into a Trooper’s conduct involving a female officer.
Liverpool
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The trial of Trooper Andrew John Green has been told “senior soldiers in leadership positions” were all “highly inebriated” after wrapping up an inter-state detachment, with one giving evidence that he had concerns about whether a medical officer treating a sick female was even sober.
Green, 31, denies allegations he squeezed a female defence force officer’s buttocks in a stairwell on base before later walking into a room she was in, locking the door behind him and allegedly touching her thigh without consent.
He also denies charges that he was later found naked in her bed and had allegedly stolen two of her patches on the night in question.
Friday’s hearing saw submissions made about the chaotic scenes on base with a significant number of ADF members seriously inebriated, including crucial witnesses who began investigating in the early hours of the morning when the woman made a complaint.
Green’s defence of Paul Hogan and prosecutor Joshua Nottle began their final submissions in the five-day trial at the Defence Plaza in Sydney.
Defence Force Magistrate Commander Gregory Sitres questioned whether the sight of a naked Green was any more damaging to the reputation of the ADF than the CCTV footage played on Monday, which showed a number of soldiers in public drunkenly stumbling their way back into the base.
“This was a big night out,” Magistrate Sitres said, referencing the evidence of one of the soldiers.
Green, based at Holsworthy in south-west Sydney, and his unit were on an inter-state detachment at the time of the incident.
His lawyer Paul Hogan said most of the evidence identifying Green as the culprit was pulled together by army officers who were also intoxicated after celebrating the end of an exercise.
The manner in which he was identified, Mr Hogan argued, was also flawed.
One of the personnel he described as “cooked and mangled”, denying that Green was a “naked marauder”.
Friday’s hearing saw submissions made about the chaotic scenes on base with a significant number of ADF members seriously inebriated.
Green has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, an act of indecency, prejudicial conduct and theft.
Magistrate Commander Sitres will make his judgment on the case at a later date.