Darwin airman pleads guilty to penis prank, homophobic slur

THE Flight Sergeant called a subordinate a ‘faggot’ because he ‘owned an electric whipper snipper and lawnmower’

Exercise Pitch Black for 2018 starts on Monday and continues for 3 weeks Exercise Pitch Black will have up to 140 Aircraft participating from 16 countries The C130J Airlifter on tarmac . Pic Katrina Bridgeford.

A DARWIN airman who called a subordinate a “faggot” because he “owned an electric whipper snipper and lawnmower” after putting penis shaped key rings on his squadron’s car keys has been docked a week’s wages.

Flight Sergeant Craig Edward Rochester, 45, pleaded guilty to two counts of prejudicial conduct at a Defence Force Magistrate’s hearing at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin yesterday.

The court heard the improvised explosive device expert had been a respected member of the RAAF for 27 years prior to the offending, whose expertise would be called upon in the event of a “terrorist attack or lone wolf attack”.

Giving evidence in a failed application to have his name suppressed from publication, Flt Sgt Rochester said his expertise in IEDs meant he could become the target of organised crime if his identity got out.

“My concern is that we’re privy to a lot of secret information that other members aren’t,” he said.

“Members have been targeted by outlaw motorcycle gangs and other entities that aren’t really law abiding.”

But prosecutor Melissa Allison argued the offences were “not of a security nature” and the application was dismissed.

Two senior officers, Wing Commander Steven Parsons and Squadron Leader David Anderson gave character evidence on Flt Sgt Rochester’s behalf, saying he was “a little bit old fashioned in that he wants fun around the workplace” but “one of the highest performing NCOs in the unit”.

Flt Sgt Rochester’s lawyer, Jodie Mather, argued her client’s actions in bringing the key rings to work were an ”ill-judged” attempt to boost morale.

Ms Mather said the “distasteful” comments were “locker room banter” that “may have been acceptable 10 years ago” but that her client accepted that times had changed and general deterrence was a factor “particularly in light of a change in workplace culture throughout the defence force”. But the court also heard the recipient of the comments was not offended by them and said they were “not uncommon in the section”.

Flt Sgt Rochester was fined $1868.37 for the penises and sentenced to a “loss of seniority” for the homophobic language.