26 Feb 2009

Army instructor demoted for indecent assault

7:13 pm on 26 February 2009

A senior Army instructor has been demoted and severely reprimanded for indecently assaulting a fellow officer while on a training course.

Lieutenant Colonel Allan David Kinsella had his rank reduced to Major at a court martial at Trentham Military Camp near Wellington on Thursday.

The 37-year-old instructor tried to force himself on the female officer after entering her room at Waiouru Army Camp on 23 March 2007.

The court was told on the night of the offending, Kinsella and the female officer had been drinking together in an officers' mess.

Later, Kinsella entered the woman's room uninvited and tried to force himself on her. He denied this version of events during the court martial.

During sentencing, president of the court Colonel R J Hitchings described Kinsella's conduct as unacceptable in the service environment and a grave breach of trust.

Kinsella was found not guilty on a second charge of behaving in a disgraceful and indecent manner.

He faces other charges which are to be dealt with at a date yet to be set.

Kinsella has been with the Army for 19 years. The demotion will see his salary drop by roughly $30,000 to about $90,000 a year.