Two soldiers have been cleared of racially abusing their Northern Irish colleague after claiming jokes about him being an IRA terrorist were just “boisterous banter”.
Scottish Household Cavalry troopers Declan Coutts, 22, and Maxwell Nicholls, 24, were also acquitted of attacking a Muslim colleague in the Windsor regiment, which is traditionally responsible for guarding the Queen.
The pair admitted calling trooper Scott Alexander “Gerry Adams” and “terrorist” and making IRA jibes but said it was part of their regiment’s culture.
Tpr Alexander told a court martial he felt “demoralised” and was subjected to pranks and physical attacks including choke-holds.
But they denied carrying out “malicious” attacks between July to November 2020, with Tpr Nicholls claiming it was part of “rough and tumble” Army life.
The “inseparable” pair were also acquitted of battering Tpr Azaan Aziz-Sheikh after a boozy trainee night out in Windsor.
Don't miss the latest Scottish crime and courts news from the Daily Record. Sign up to our Criminal Record newsletter here .
