Jack Bannerman faces trial for alleged sexual assault at Holsworthy Barracks

The alleged victim has given evidence in the trial of an army cadet charged with sexually assaulting a fellow cadet at the Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney’s southwest.

A woman felt “violated” and “disgusted” after she was sexually assaulted by a fellow Australian Defence Force cadet at a southwest Sydney miliary facility, a court has heard.

Jack Bannerman, 20, is on trial after pleading not guilty to one count of sexual assault after the alleged incident at Holsworthy Defence Barracks in February, 2021.

It was revealed in court last year that he has been suspended from the army after the charge was laid.

In court on Thursday, the alleged victim gave evidence and told the court about her friendship with Bannerman that started when the two were stationed at Kapooka in Wagga.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said they had a good friendship and would socialise in group settings while training at Kapooka.

“We often talked about our own relationships,” she told the court.

Jack Bannerman, charged with sexual assault while in the military.

“I was in quite a horrible relationship myself and he had a loving girlfriend he used to talk about … we used to talk about sports and funny things that happened at training.”

At the end of the training, the woman decided to join the full time officer cadet course and was transferred with a cohort of others, including Bannerman, to Holsworthy.

She told the court that she became good friends with Bannerman and another male cadet, and that she and Bannerman would hang out together alone in their rooms and within group settings.

She said on February 23, she hung out with Bannerman in her room for a bit before he later went out drinking and she went and saw her other “close” male cadet friend in his room.

Jack Bannerman, charged with sexual assault while in the military.

The woman told the court Bannerman later joined her and the other friend. Later that evening, the woman told the court, she and Bannerman left their friend’s room and went to her room where they sat on the floor.

“We put music on … we were chatting as normal … after a while of us talking Jack said to me his girlfriend would be fine if he did anything with any of the girls on base,” she said.

“I said ‘why are you telling me this’ … Jack put his hand on my upper thigh.

“I said ‘what are you doing we are just friends’ and he said ‘my girlfriend wouldn’t mind’ … I was confused. I didn't know why he was saying what he was saying.”

The woman told the court that Bannerman took off her shirt and later her shorts and underwear before putting on a condom and inserting his penis into her vagina.

She said during this she said “no, no, we are just friends”.

Jack Bannerman, charged with sexual assault while in the military.

The woman told the court when she pushed him back he said “can you give me one good reason why you don’t want to do this” and she responded “I don’t have to give you a reason, we are just friends” before he penetrated her again.

The woman told the court that she was upset and angry and asked him to leave.

“He turned back and said ‘it’s never been an issue with anyone else’ and that comment haunts me to this day,” she said.

“I felt so empty. I just cried. I was in absolute shock … I felt violated. I felt disgusting. I just lay there and cried. I could not believe what had just happened [to me] by my own friend.”

About 12.15am on February 24, the woman told the court she received a message from Bannerman saying “don’t tell anyone” and “let’s just be friends”.

The woman said she then contacted the male friend they had been with earlier and he came to her room where she described what happened. She told the court the friend said it was “serious” and she should report it.

Later on February 24, the woman went and spoke to the on-base chaplain about what happened who reported it to the military police.

The woman told the court she was taken to the medical centre where she said no to having swabs done by a male doctor, and she did not recall any explanation being given that it would be a sexual assault forensic investigation.

Jack Bannerman (left) is on trial at Downing Centre for the alleged sexual assault of a fellow cadet at Holsworthy Defence Barracks. Pictured here leaving Campbelltown Court on May 2, 2022. Picture: Annie Lewis

She also said she decided not to make a formal complaint at the time as she did not want to “relive that situation”, but changed her mind in April as she did not want it happening to anyone else.

During cross examination, Bannerman’s barrister Alan Hands put to the woman that on the way from their friend’s room to her room, she and Bannerman stopped at his room to get pyjamas and a phone charger.

She denied it and said she only got a protein drink.

When Mr Hands asked if Bannerman got changed in her room and she invited him to bed, the woman refuted this.

“You came out of the bathroom and put your condom on my client’s erect penis,” Mr Hands asked.

“That’s not correct, no,” the woman replied.

“And then he was lying on your bed and then you straddled him and you had consensual sexual intercourse,” Mr Hands asked.

“No that’s not right, it wasn’t consensual and it wasn’t on the bed,” she replied.

The woman denied they moved from the bed to the floor where she was still straddling him before he ended up on top.

Mr Hands said Bannerman inserted his penis again “just after he had checked if you were consenting”.

“No not at all, not at any point was I asked if I was OK,” the woman replied.

Mr Hands said that Bannerman had not had any drinks when he went out that night, but the woman said she could smell alcohol on his breath and he had told her he had.

The woman told the court she remained at Holsworthy for another two months after the alleged incident.

Mr Hands told the woman she had “consensual intercourse with my client in your bilete [room] didn’t you”.

“No,” she replied.

The trial continues on Friday before a jury and Bannerman remains on bail.