British Army soldier, 19, who raped a female colleague while telling her ‘good girl’ and sexually assaulted two others is jailed for seven years
- Gunner Joshua Holt, 19, raped a female colleague while telling her ‘good girl’
- He also sexually assaulted two other female soldiers as he kissed both women
- Judge Advocate General Alan Large sentenced Gnr Holt to seven years in prison
A 19-year-old soldier who raped a female colleague and sexually assaulted two others has been jailed for seven years.
Gunner Joshua Holt, formerly of the Royal Artillery, raped his fellow soldier after watching TV with her in her room, Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire was told.
Prosecutor William Eaglestone had previously told a trial that the victim had tried to push him away ‘but he was just too strong and he put all of his body weight on her’, and told her ‘good girl’ and ‘stay there’.
Judge Advocate General Alan Large sentenced Gnr Holt to seven years imprisonment for rape, followed by three years on licence.
He said the rape was particularly serious because of the ‘degradation and humiliation’ endured by his victim.
Gnr Holr’s adoptive parents wept in court as they heard statements from Gnr Holt’s victims following his conviction at a court martial.
Gunner Joshua Holt, formerly of the Royal Artillery, raped his fellow soldier after watching TV with her in her room, Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire was told
In a statement read out in court, the rape victim said: ‘Since (the rape), I have suffered severe trust issues. I remain in fear that someone may take advantage of me again… a thought that hasn’t left me since he took advantage of me.’
At a sentencing hearing Mr Eaglestone summarised statements made by one of the two victims of sexual assault.
He told the court: ‘She describes feeling continually ashamed, having no self confidence and some days [she] can’t bear to look at herself in the mirror.
‘She said: ”I often feel depressed and my anxiety means some days I don’t even want to get out of bed and deal with the day”.’
Mr Eaglestone also read the statement of the third victim: ‘As a victim of sexual assault I have increased anxiety and your actions continue to weigh on my mind.
‘I trusted him and he betrayed that trust.’
The prosecutor told the court of Gnr Holt’s previous battery offences where he had attacked his step mother, foster carers, adoptive parents, teachers as well as other children in the past.
But Robert Bryan, defending, said these incidents were unrelated to the sexual offences and he was a much younger man, with him being just 12 years old when he started offending.
Paul Holt, his adoptive father, told the court how Gnr Holt had struggled at school after he and his wife adopted him when he was three years old.
He said: ‘He had had a difficult early years and you could say like his behaviour he sort of struggled in areas.
‘In mainstream primary school he struggled… later on he went to a school that focused on behaviour and social development. It was a huge success. Josh coped really well.’
Prosecutor William Eaglestone had previously told a trial that the victim had tried to push him away ‘ but he was just too strong and he put all of his body weight on her’, and told her ‘good girl’ and ‘stay there’
However he said he went to mainstream secondary school as he wasn’t approved for the BSD school anymore and that is when his offending started.
Mr Bryan added Gnr Holt – who has since left the Army – had used his time at The Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester, Essex to ‘reflect on his past, his issues and maybe address them’.
Judge Advocate General Alan Large said: ‘My take on it is he is starting to mature and is making signs of progress in Colchester.’
For the two sexual assaults, Gnr Holt was handed a three month and four month sentence, both to run concurrently to the rape sentence and he was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Gnr Holt was also sentenced to three additional months of imprisonment for actual bodily harm and criminal damage, after he had pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court to punching another woman and kicking her car.
Gunner Holt had also been accused of raping one female colleague several times and holding a knife to her throat, but he was cleared of the charges relating to that victim in July.
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