Airtrooper, 21, who adopted a fellow soldier into the bathroom and sexually assaulted her in opposition to a wall has been spared jail
A female soldier who repeatedly followed her colleague into bathrooms and sexually assaulted her as she ‘pinned’ her against the wall has escaped jail.
Airtrooper Olivia Nelson dodged jail after she left her victim ‘forever scarred’ by overpowering her and groping her in repeated attacks.
In one assault, the 21-year-old followed the soldier into a toilet on a night out and forcibly held her against the wall by her neck before grabbing her breasts and vagina.
In another incident, she climbed into the colleague’s bed and tried to kiss her, then followed her into a shower area and pinned her against the wall as she continued trying to kiss her.
The traumatised victim, who can’t be named for legal reasons, said she struggled to ‘break free’ because Nelson was ‘stronger’ than her.
Nelson, of the British Army Air Corps, today received a suspended sentence as a court heard she has been dismissed from the Army.
She was previously convicted of four counts of sexual assault after a week long trial at Winchester Crown Court.
Airtrooper Olivia Nelson (pictured) dodged jail after she left her victim ‘forever scarred’ by overpowering her and groping her in repeated attacks
Mark Karpinski, prosecuting, said the offences took place at Middle Wallop Army Barracks, Hampshire.
He told the court that Nelson, then 19, had just gone through a breakup with her long-term girlfriend and had confided in the victim.
The prosecutor emphasised that there was ‘never any suggestion of a possible sexual relationship’ between Nelson and the female soldier.
It was heard that on an evening soon after the break up, Nelson had been out drinking and had returned to the barracks intoxicated.
‘The defendant walked over to [the victim’s] bed, climbed onto her bed, pulled back the duvet and repeatedly tried to kiss her,’ Mr Karpinski said.
Moments later, the victim left her bed and walked over to the communal shower area – but was followed by Nelson, who then ‘pinned her against the wall’, ‘grabbed her throat’, and ‘tried to kiss her’.
It was heard the female soldier eventually ‘managed to break free’ from Nelson’s ‘grip’.
He told the court of another occasion, where Nelson and the victim were part of a group socialising at a pub.
Mark Karpinski, prosecuting, said the offences took place at Middle Wallop Army Barracks, Hampshire
The victim left the table to use the toilet but was again ‘followed’ by Nelson directly into the cubicle.
‘The defendant grabbed [the victim] by the neck, repeatedly tried to kiss her and grabbed her breasts,’ Mr Karpinski said.
‘The defendant then attempted to insert her fingers into [the victim’s] vagina.
‘Throughout the incident, the victim was loudly telling the defendant to get off her.’
It was heard the victim ‘eventually managed to escape the cubicle’ but Nelson – who was again intoxicated – followed her out, before pinning her against the wall again.
The prosecutor told the court that Nelson then ‘grabbed her vagina’ over her clothing.
The victim was ‘distressed’ by what had happened and ‘confided’ in a few of her closest acquaintances, it was heard.
She did not formally report the matter, for fear it could impact her ‘long-term career prospects’, but a friend of hers’ eventually informed the victims superiors.
Nelson denied six charges related to sexual assault and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Winchester Crown Court
The victim told Monday’s hearing of the devastating impact Nelson’s assault had on her.
She said: ‘I don’t even know where to start about expressing how many feelings I have felt, and the trauma you have made me go through.
‘What you did to me, how it made me feel so weak and that you were stronger than me – I tried pushing you away.
‘I can truly not get over, or understand, why you did this to me.
‘What did I do to deserve this? It takes everything in me not to break down when I think about what you did.
‘What you did will forever scar my mind.’
Nick Tucker, defending, told the court: ‘This is a young woman of exemplary character who has, as a result of this offences, had to cut short a promising military career.’
Mr Tucker said the ‘immaturity’ of Nelson, who was a teenager at the time of the offences, must have ‘played it’s part’.
Urging the judge to consider a suspended sentence, he said: ‘No one could properly say that she had got off lightly.
‘She no longer has a future in the army, she is a registered sex offender, and she had those convictions on her record.’
Nelson was found guilty of four counts of sexual assault on a female, and one count of attempting to assault by penetration.
