Drunken RAF officer convicted of indecent exposure at summer ball

Drunken RAF officer, 39, who horrified staff at boozy summer ball by ‘putting his testicles on the bar’ is convicted of indecent exposure – but found not guilty of grabbing a female officer’s bottom

• Richard Aldridge, 39, exposed himself during the event at MoD Boscombe Down
• He was found guilty of a charge of exposure but was cleared of sexual assault

A drunken Royal Air Force officer who horrified staff at a boozy summer ball by ‘putting his testicles on the bar’ has been convicted of indecent exposure. 

Flight Lieutenant Richard Aldridge, 39, exposed himself at the event in MoD Boscombe Down after overhearing two women complain about servicemen who had previously flashed at them. 

The officer got one leg up on the bar and was ‘holding the underneath of himself’, one of the women told Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire.

Aldridge was found guilty of a charge of exposure but was cleared of sexual assault having been accused of grabbing a female officer’s bottom while she stood at the bar. 

During the three day trial he denied the first charge, claiming he is ‘not flexible enough’ to have done so and said his uniform was too tight. He also denied touching the female officer. 

Flight Lieutenant Richard Aldridge (pictured outside Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire), 39, has been convicted of indecent exposure

The Flight Lieutenant exposed himself after overhearing two women complain about servicemen who had previously flashed at them

The court heard the officers’ mess event was held at MoD Boscombe Down, a military aircraft testing site, near Amesbury, in Wiltshire. 

Captain Rebecca Slee, prosecuting, told the court martial the function had kicked off and was in full swing when Flt Lt Aldridge arrived at the bar.

She said: ‘[Two women] were working behind the bar. They had talked about previous incidents of exposure, and said they hoped nothing like that would happen tonight. 

‘Flt Lt Aldridge was at the bar and overheard the conversation. He then exposed his testicles and put them on the bar.’

Giving evidence, one of the women, who is a civilian worker, told the court: ‘There was a conversation between me and a colleague about previous functions and what people get up to.

‘[Flt Lt Aldridge] put his testicles in his hand and at the top of the bar. I said ‘that’s inappropriate, put them away’. He was laughing.’

Her colleague said: ‘We were having a conversation and Flt Lt Aldridge came to the bar. At a previous function, an officer had done something – two weeks before, an officer was up on the table doing the helicopter with his penis.’

Referring to Flt Lt Aldridge, she added: ‘I saw him up on the bar holding the underneath of himself. His genitals were out of his clothes.

Aldridge was found guilty of a charge of exposure but was cleared of sexual assault having been accused of grabbing a female officer’s bottom while she stood at the bar

The court heard the officers’ mess event, where the incident took place, was held at MoD Boscombe Down (pictured), near Amesbury, in Wiltshire

‘He had one leg up on the floor and one up. He then got down and went off.

‘[Later on] he was very drunk and an officer took him to his room carrying him over his shoulder.’

Flt Lt Aldridge was cleared of grabbing a female officer’s bottom having denied even seeing her at the event, and said there were more than 200 people in attendance.

In a police interview shown to the court, the woman said: ‘We were at the bar, both ordering a drink. He was mumbling and not making any sense… his shirt was open almost to the bottom.

‘He looked confused and very drunk. He reached forward and grabbed the underside of my bum. [Flt Lt Aldridge] texted me the next day apologising.

‘It’s a culture that’s not going away. There’s an attitude that it’s easy to get away with it.’

When asked by defence barrister Stephanie Painter about the alleged incident, Flt Lt Aldridge said: ‘That would never have happened in any way, shape or form, drunk or otherwise. I would never do anything like that.’

Flt Lt Aldridge will be sentenced for exposure at a later date.

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