S.A.S. man ‘burned, hit’

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 1

S.A.S. man ‘burned, hit’

PA Auckland An Army sergeant, on a Special Air Service selection course, stood to attention while an instructor repeatedly burned his chin with a cigarette lighter and beat him about the face, a court-martial has been told. Before the Court, at Papakura Military Camp yesterday, was Corporal Christopher James Butler. aged 28, who pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of striking and using violence to superiors, striking a fellow officer, and striking and ill-treating soldiers, Butler allegedly punched, beat with a broom handle, or burned 10 students of the course on March 9. He also twisted a piece of rope around the neck of one soldier and spat in his face, the Court heard. Sergeant C. J. Fremlin said that Butler had thrown his bed-roll out of a window during an inspection, returning later with a cigarette lighter. “He lit his lighter and held it under my chin,” he said. “I stood it until the pain became unbearable. I then moved, and Butler punched me on the chin.”

“I fell on to the bed, [■ and when I stood up he held the lighter under my chin again,” he said. “He struck me with his 1 fist, and I fell to the bed. I stood up again I and remained at atten- 1 tion. He punched me ’ again.”

Sergeant Fremlin said he had stood to attention during the incident because he had thought it was part of the course. The bum required hospital attention.

Corporal I. J. Blackman said he had been struck three times about the legs by Butler, as he, and the rest of the students, were forced to crawl on their stomachs for 15 metres through heavy rain.

“During the Inspection he struck me across the face with a broom,” he said. “He returned. and because I had not come to attention quickly enough, he struck me about the face again and emptied the contents of my top drawer."

Corporal Blackman said Butler had hit him again with a broom, and then, looking through his drawer, had found a lighter, which he had lit and passed under witness’s chin.