A court martial at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire has heard that Bombardier Michael Murley raped a fellow soldier on the morning of her birthday after she repeatedly told him "no". Prosecutors allege that Murley pinned the woman down and told her "I would have finished by now if you just let me do it", while she pleaded with him to stop and tried to wriggle free. He denies the charge and faces one count of rape.

The court heard that the complainant, who is also a bombardier in the Royal Artillery, had celebrated her birthday with two others in 2024 before asking Murley to take her home, where they had consensual sex that evening. The following morning she left him in bed to attend a weigh-in for a tug of war competition; on her return, prosecutor Graham Coombes said, Murley tried to have sex with her, pushed her down on the bed and forced her head down despite her repeated refusals. She was later said to have "broken down in distress". The trial continues.