Household Cavalry drill instructor, 31, is dismissed from the Army after he slapped bottom of 18-year-old trainee on London Underground escalator during night out
- Lance Corporal Oliver Nelson, 31, struck the trainee’s bottom with ‘some force’
- LCpl Nelson was a drill instructor with Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment
- He was dismissed from the Army over the incident on the London Underground
An instructor in the historic Household Cavalry has been dismissed from the Army after he slapped the bottom of a young female trainee on a London Underground escalator.
Lance Corporal Oliver Nelson, 31, struck the 18-year-old’s buttocks with ‘some force’ and laughed out loud, leaving her feeling ‘uncomfortable,’ a court martial heard.
LCpl Nelson was a drill instructor with the 362 year old Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, which is known for its iconic tunics and plumed helmets being at the heart of the Queen’s birthday parade, royal weddings and state occasions.
The regiment only began accepting women in 2019 and Judge Jane England said ‘unwanted, disrespectful behaviour’ like LCpl Nelson’s could discourage more young women from joining the Army.
He claimed he was simply ‘joining in’ as some young recruits were slapping each other’s bottoms after a night out in central London.
However, at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, LCpl Nelson was dismissed from the Army.
He was also found to have twice breached strict rules on the conduct of instructors by having alcoholic drinks with trainees – some of whom were under 18.
Lance Corporal Oliver Nelson, 31, struck the trainee’s bottom while they were on the London Underground
The court heard that on the way back to Hyde Park Barracks, which is just three quarters of a mile from Buckingham Palace, the teenager had been in front of LCpl Nelson on an escalator in Knightsbridge tube station.
Prosecuting, Colonel Grant Davies said: ‘The woman was ahead of Nelson and she felt a slap to her buttocks which she described was with some force.
‘She turned around and saw LCpl Nelson laughing. The woman describes feeling really uncomfortable that he had done that at all.
‘She felt so uncomfortable after the incident that when she found out LCpl Nelson was staying near to where she was, she felt she had to stay in a room with two other trainees.’
Later on in the same evening, LCpl Nelson bought alcoholic drinks for the teenagers which goes against barracks rules on instructors socialising and drinking with the trainees.
Colonel Davies added: ‘They returned to barracks on the same evening. The woman and other trainees within the training ward were joined by LCpl Nelson who purchased alcohol to be consumed by trainees.
‘LCpl Nelson was there and consumed alcohol in contravention of the standing orders.’
He again bought cider and spirits including vodka within a week or so of the first incident and took it to a trooper’s room to drink with trainees, some of whom were under 18, the court heard.
At Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, LCpl Nelson was dismissed from the Army
LCpl Nelson pleaded guilty to one count of carrying out conduct of an indecent kind and two of contravening standard orders.
Dismissing LCpl Nelson from the Army, Judge Jane England said: ‘[The female trainee] was supposed to be able to look up to you as someone she admired and respected, as someone who upheld the standards of her unit and the army as a whole.
‘Instead, you acted in a completely disrespectful way towards her by slapping her bottom on a night out. She, as a woman, had the right to have a say in who does and does not touch her.
‘Your regiment is one that has just opened up to females and this woman was part of one of the first female intakes.
‘It does mean perhaps you did not have experience dealing with females. But females should be encouraged into such roles.
‘Subjecting young females to such unwanted behaviour is not consistent with that aim.’
Defending, Matthew Bolt described LCpl Nelson’s actions in smacking the young trainee as ‘spectacularly foolish’ and added his client ‘wanted to join in’ as other soldiers were slapping each other.
Mr Bolt said: ‘This was LCpl Nelson’s first time dealing with trainees and he became overly friendly as he wanted to be liked.
‘This was a group of people who were friends. He interpreted the behaviour as banter, he wanted to join in but should have stepped back.
‘He wanted to join in and it was spectacularly foolish of him to have done so.’
LCpl Nelson also received a two-year service community order and will have to do 150 hours of unpaid work in the next year.
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