Anne-Marie Ellement: One of two soldiers accused of rape admits 'verbally abusing' corporal after sex

Thomas Fulford says he regrets swearing at Cpl Ellement and calling her a 'slag' but denies raping her

Anne-Marie Ellement in her military uniform (Family handout/Liberty/PA)

One of the two soldiers on trial for the rape of a female colleague has admitted verbally abusing her following the alleged attack.

Thomas Fulton said he regretted swearing at Corporal Anne-Marie Ellement and calling her a “slag” at a barracks in Sennelager, Germany in 2009.

Fulton and Jeremy Jones deny raping the former Royal Military Police corporal and have repeatedly insisted the sex was “consensual at all times”.

Bulford Court Martial Centre in Wiltshire heard that Cpl Ellement, from Bournemouth, Dorset, had killed herself two years after making the rape allegation.

Cpl Ellement was found in the early hours of the morning - naked apart from a cardigan - outside her accommodation block, crying and seemingly drunk.

She said the two men - who have since left the army - had forced her to have sex with them.

The three had been drinking in the mess and had joked about having a threesome.

In a police interview recorded two days after the alleged incident was supposed to have taken place, Cpl Ellement said: “Tom kept mentioning all night about having a threesome and I thought he was joking, because I would never do that.

Family and friends of Corporal Ellement leave the court including her sister, Khristina Swain (second right), and her mother Alexandra Barritt (left) (PA)

"Tom showed me a text saying 'Tell Anne-Marie Jez fancies her' and Tom and I were having a laugh about that.

"I pretty much remember the majority of stuff and we went upstairs to Jez's room so he could get changed to go out.”

She said the next thing she remembered was Fulton on top of her trying to have sex with her as she said “No it really hurts, it really hurts. Stop”.

The last thing she recalled was Jones grabbing her breasts.

Fulton told the court that they had been drinking in the mess but the “possibility of a threesome was a serious consideration. We were actively considering it”.

He said: "We went back to the room with the intention to have sex. She kissed us, she instigated things.

"She had sex with us and she was consenting at all times."

The three soldiers went to Jones's room at 12.30am, where Fulton said Cpl Ellement helped him undress.

He removed her jeans and bra while Cpl Ellement kicked off her shoes before both men had sex with her, Fulton said.

Fulton later awoke to find Cpl Ellement had left the room wearing his lightweight trousers, he told the court.

Cpl Ellement with her sisters (Family handout/Liberty/PA)

The soldier found Cpl Ellement walking through a nearby car park and asked for his trousers back but she refused, he claimed.

"I said something along the lines of 'Give me back my f****** trousers'. She said no. I said 'Stop being a c***," he said.

"She pulled the lightweights down in front of me and she threw them to my chest.

"As she walked off I said 'F*** off you slag'. I was frustrated that she had spoiled a really good night for us all.

"I was 21. It is the biggest regret of my life that I never walked Anne-Marie back that night."

Fulton said he and Jones then took a taxi to a nightclub but received a phone call on the way informing them that Cpl Ellement was upset.

They returned to the camp where they were arrested on suspicion of raping her.

Fulton was informed that the case had been dismissed in January 2010 but the pair were interviewed and charged with two counts of rape in 2015.

Ex-corporals Fulton, formerly of 174 Provost Company 3 Royal Military Police, and Jones, 28, formerly of Close Protection Unit Royal Military Police Operations Wing, each deny two charges of rape.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by PA