RAPE CLAIM SUBMARINER IS CLEARED
Court martial hearing concludes
A ROYAL Navy submariner accused of raping a woman was cleared at court martial yesterday.
Petty Officer Stuart Glassford, who is posted to the nuclear submarine HMS Victorious, told the hearing the allegations were “total lies”.
He denied raping the woman in October 2015, on his second night ashore after three months on deployment on a sub.
The 34-year-old, from Dumbarton, told the trial at Portsmouth Naval Base: “It’s just ridiculous, it’s not true.
“I am not the type of person to take violence or anger out on anyone, let alone a woman.”
Glassford, who is originally from Glasgow, added that he was known for his “boring sex life”.
He said he had the nickname “Missionary Killick”, with killick referring to Navy slang for a junior sailor.
Glassford said the complainant had invited him to come to her place and added: “There were no fights or arguments, there was no bust-up.”
He added that they had consensual sex until the complainant asked him to stop, which he did.
He said: “We were having consensual sex, she said she wanted to stop. I stopped.
“I laid down beside her and I asked her what was going on and she said, ‘Nothing, I just don’t want to do it.’”
Glassford said hearing the complainant’s evidence had made him “feel sick” and added: “It’s total lies, it’s not true.”
Describing the impact of the allegations on him, he said: “This is really serious to me, it’s life-threatening to me. It’s led me to be on medication and to over-eat, I have taken to comfort eating and put on two stone.”
A spokeswoman for the Royal Navy confirmed that Glassford had been cleared of the single count of rape.