A Royal Navy underwater warfare expert has been kicked out of the military for slapping a 17-year-old female sailor on her bottom during a basketball game.
Leading Seaman Andrew Hallimond had claimed he was paying the teenager a 'compliment' for playing well when he smacked her on the behind.
The 39-year-old argued he simply liked banter and taking a 'slightly friendlier approach' with young recruits he was in charge of.
But a court martial heard that over a period of three months Hallimond became obsessed with the junior sailor and on one occasion shocked her by saying 'it's nice to see you have red underwear in your drawer.'
He made inappropriate comments to her 'on a daily basis' and 'could not keep his hands off her', it was alleged.
Following a trial in March last year Hallimond was found guilty of sexual assault at Bulford Military Court, Wilts but his sentencing was initially postponed due to the Covid pandemic.
Now it has emerged that he has been sentenced to nine months detention and placed on the sexual offenders register while also being dismissed from the military.
Edinburgh-born Hallimond, who was attached to submarine-hunting frigate HMS Richmond, told the court he liked to encourage 'banter' as it could 'break down barriers' with his young charges.
He admitted slapping her bottom while playing a game of basketball but said he just did this sort of thing as a 'compliment' when someone scored a goal or played well.
On another occasion, the court heard the young woman was alone on the basketball court with Hallimond when she bent down to put her water bottle on the floor and he slapped her backside.
His victim said the touching and abuse happened so often she 'expected it whenever she came into work' at HMNB Devonport and claimed he made so many comments she could not remember them all.
In another incident, Hallimond, who had been drinking alcohol with a young group of sailors, said they had been sat in the common room playing the drinking game 'never have I ever.'
He went to use a toilet in the victim's room and when he came back he said 'it's nice to see you have red underwear in your drawer.'
The court martial heard that on another occasion Hallimond ran into the woman during a basketball game and touched her breasts.
He was accused of deliberately groping her but the panel decided this was an accident and that on this occasion his actions were not sexually motivated.
Prosecutor Rupert Gregory said: "It is not the 1970's. The world has moved on.
"You cannot just go around slapping your colleagues bottoms.
"It is sexual assault if they are not consenting or if you do not reasonably believe they are consenting.
"It was happening day in day out.
"She hated being near him, coming into contact with him because she new at some point there it would be; his hand on her backside.
"She tried to ignore it as just someone being a bit stupid. It wasn't. It was sexual assault."
The victim previously told the court she did not know Hallimond that well and so was shocked by his behaviour, adding: "At first I wasn't sure if it was banter or not but after a while it was too much and it was clear they were towards me.
"On another occasion he said to me 'alright there, big bum'.
"I was shocked because I had never been called that before."
Hallimond was dismissed from the military after he was found guilty on one count of sexual assault following a three day trial last year.
He was sentenced to nine months detention and placed on the sexual offenders register.
He was cleared of three other charges including grabbing the woman's breasts during the basketball game, and slapping her bottom in a lift and an office.
