Royal Marines captain accused of rape claims ‘woman came to his room for sex’
It happened in 2023
A Royal Marines captain, accused of the rape of a woman at a military base in Dorset, has told a court that he understood the complainant had come to his bedroom for sex.
Ricky Shepherd, 47, is on trial at Bournemouth Crown Court facing charges of rape, attempted rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault in the early hours of November 24 2023.
The court has heard that the complainant took up an offer from the defendant to sleep in his bed after she had been drinking and socialising at the officers’ mess at a Dorset military base.
But prosecutor Richard Onslow has told the jury that the complainant sent WhatsApp messages to Shepherd saying that she just wanted to sleep and that she told him to stop when he attempted to have sex with her.
In her interview with police, the complainant said that she took off her clothes before getting into Shepherd’s bed but added that this did not “justify” him having sex with her against her will.
The court has heard that the complainant went to a sexual assault referral centre on the following day where photographs were taken of bruising to her chest, legs and arms.
Shepherd, a father-of-two originally from Bristol, told the court that messages sent before the complainant came to his room led him to the impression that she wanted to have sex with him.
The court heard that these messages included the defendant asking her: “We fancy each other right?”, to which she replied: “Yes but I just want to sleep.”
He continued the exchange with: “In my bed?” to which she replied: “Well that will do, but I really just want to sleep.”
Shepherd told the court: “I felt she wanted to come back to my room for sex.”
He added: “I am flirting and saying she can come and sleep with me i.e. have sex.”
The defendant also said that he also sent a message saying “I’ll put some boxers on” because “I wanted to let her know I was naked”.
He said that after the complainant arrived at his room where he was staying, she got undressed to her underwear and they got into bed together.
Shepherd said: “I put my arm around her and began to kiss and touch her, at which point she turned towards me, we began to kiss, fondle each other, at this stage I believe we became naked.”
The defendant said that they then had “consensual” sex which he described as “rough” which he said he believed caused the bruising but had not been aware of these injuries that day.
Shepherd said that at some point they stopped and they both fell asleep and then had consensual sex again when they woke up.
The defendant said that he did not know why she had made the rape allegation against him but said that he regretted not contacting her again after that night.
He said: “I should have contacted her, it was a bit of a dick thing not to communicate with her but I didn’t want to at that time, I regret that.”
The court has heard that Shepherd, who is separated from his wife, has no criminal convictions or military disciplinary rulings against him.
He also told the court that he had served the Royal Marines for 25 years and was the second in command of a tri-service squadron of 130 people.
The defendant, who was based at the time at Hamworthy, Poole, denies the charges and the trial continues.