Charles Howeson trial: Navy 'kept quiet on groping officer'

Charles Howeson groped a crewman as they carried a large dummy, the court heard

The Royal Navy hushed up a crewman's claims he was sexually assault by a senior officer, a court has heard.

Charles Howeson, 67, who was a lieutenant commander, is accused of groping the man on HMS Cleopatra in 1985.

The assault was reported to the navy who took no action because they "wanted to keep it quiet", the former crewman told Bristol Crown Court.

Mr Howeson, of Stonehouse, Plymouth, denies 12 sex offences.

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The crewman, who cannot be named, told the court he was called to Mr Howeson's cabin on the pretext of conducting a man overboard exercise.

As they carried a large dummy upstairs Mr Howeson was "groping" him in a "disgusting revolting incident", he said.

Some of the alleged offences took place on the frigate HMS Cleopatra, the jury heard

Defence barrister Daniel Janner QC said to the man: "I put it to you there was no groping at all."

The crewman replied: "That is a lie."

He said he found out last year that no formal action had been taken following his complaints.

"I honestly thought he had been kicked out of the service," he said.

"The navy didn't want that to happen here because it would have looked bad.

"Here he is groping a sailor, the last thing the navy would want would be any scandal in the service."

Mr Howeson denies 11 counts of indecent assault and one other serious sexual offence against nine boys and men between December 1985 and September 1994.

The trial continues.