Sailor rapped for sex on warship
A PLYMOUTH-based sailor had sex with a rating on board a Royal Navy frigate after walking into the female mess uninvited, a court martial heard.
Able Seaman Greig Gammack was sentenced to a 90-day service supervision and punishment order at Portsmouth Naval Base court martial centre having pleaded guilty to three charges of contravening standing orders.
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HEARING: Able Seaman Greig Gammack
These were that he had sexual intercourse with one woman, intimate physical contact with another and had entered a female mess uninvited.
The sentence requires Gammack, 21, from Aberdeen, to carry out extra duties and causes him to lose some pay and leave rights.
The court heard that Gammack had been drinking while HMS Chatham, a Devonport-based Type 22 frigate, was alongside at Chatham, on November 10, 2010.
The now-decommissioned warship was visiting the Kent dockyard to mark the 20th anniversary of its acceptance into the fleet.
In the early hours Gammack, who now serves on board helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious, went down into the female ratings' mess on the pretence of returning someone's mobile phone.
He then went into the sleeping quarters, where he awoke one rating, who was 17 at the time, and put his hand briefly on her breast.
Commander Darren Reed, prosecuting, said: "The hand is applied, she tells him: 'What are you doing?', he removes the hand and says 'Sorry, I shouldn't have done that'."
The court heard that Gammack, who joined the navy at 16, then went on to wake up another female rating who accepted his advances and did have sex with him.
Judge Alastair McGrigor said: "You had too much to drink and with the excuse of returning a mobile phone you entered the female mess.
"You were seeking a sexual encounter and you deliberately breached standing orders."
He added: "This was a gross breach of discipline. Sailors have little privacy and must feel safe in their bunks."
Prior to the incident, HMS Chatham had recently returned from a seven-month deployment off the coast of Somalia where she was lead vessel for Operation Ocean Shield, the Nato action to counter piracy, and Gammack had received a UN medal for his service.
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by BigRab78
Sunday, February 12 2012, 12:16PM
“Boris 20111, the bloke was an oxygen thief, and as for his boxing career, don't make me laugh! I took him to one of the gyms in the city whilst I was still serving for some sparring to take him out of his comfort zone. He thought he'd get a bit handy with one of the lads and he got a bit more than he bargained for. He then told me he didn't want to do it anymore, the drip of p*ss.”
by Jannerbloke
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 11:08PM
“One oF the nationals says he is a boxer in the navy and has a lively Bebo site that can be accessed via the search engines.”
by jabbathebutt
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 11:06PM
“No wonder that the armed forces are failing to recruit the the right people to defend us . I am old now.... but if I was younger I would no way join this farce . Let alone the immigrants who have no loyalty to this country and would fight for it . And they wonder why we are in trouble ? STREWTH !!!!!!!!!”
by MickBarb
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 10:51PM
“I bet if he'd got in bed with a male officer we'd never have heard a word about it..”
by shipmateron
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 9:36PM
“Now that's what I call Russian Roulette. Good on you mate, shame you got caught. Unlike the rest of us.”
by GreenGOM
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 9:00PM
“I can't believe I'm reading such misogynistic and sexist comments in 2012.
Only in Plymouth!”
by Boris20111
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 8:44PM
“Three months 2nd class is an overly harsh punishment for this as well.
Quite a lot in the mob depends on your standing on board wrt how far things get taken. I can't help thinking this fella either has a lot of previous or is generally regarded as a bit of an oxygen thief. The joss could have quite easily kept this within the realms of summary trial by XO or skipper. Unless he actually opted for courts martial...”
by jabbathebutt
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 8:27PM
“The trouble is that to many at the top think that life is like PC "STAR TREK" .... The actual reality of life is different .
I pick up many "couples" who are in for the weekend and stay in hotels from these ships ( and not just British ones ) . For the M.O.D to be pretending this kind of onboard relationship does not exist or shouldnt exist is ridiculous .
They decided to make this problem in the name of PC.....
There are still stuffed shirts at the top who are either blind or refuse to put their pension at risk by saying so. Luckily .... we still can.”
by Buccy
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 6:35PM
“What a laugh, women on ships.”
by Boris20111
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 6:24PM
“On the Cov '97 during Xmas duties alongside in Guzz a wren was caught heavily petting a PO in the senior rates mess by the officer of the day. She instantly claimed attempted rape. He was arrested, put in cells over christmas and investigated. She was sent on compassionate leave.
He lost his wife & kids and was busted. She later admitted it was consentual and he never forced himself upon her.
She was offered counselling.
Go figure. The MOD tends to over-compensate for perceived inequalities quite often.”