Naked soldier caught on camera trying to pull flatmate into bedroom for sex | T-10 NEWS

A naked defence force soldier tried to pull a woman into a bedroom while ignoring her protests against his request for sex.

But as the ordeal unfolded the woman managed to capture it on camera and it was later used against the man, Ashton John Lovell, to prove the incident occurred.

Lovell was initially charged with sexual violation and two counts of indecent assault but pleaded guilty to a single count of indecent assault after the other two charges were dropped.

Today, he was sentenced in Palmerston North District Court for the offending, which occurred at his flat in October 2021.

The court heard the woman was living with Lovell at the time of the incident, having only moved into the house a week prior.

Lovell had been drinking alcohol with some friends at the address when he decided to remove his shirt.

Soon after, the woman went to his room to help him pick something to wear. It was then that he grabbed her from behind, turned her face towards his and kissed her on the lips.

She ran from the bedroom to get away from him, the court heard.

But later that evening the pair were alone in the house and Lovell approached the woman and asked for her help to cook food.

At one stage he left the room and upon his return, he was completely naked and asked the woman for sex, which she refused.

Lovell then grabbed her arms and attempted to pull her into a number of bedrooms. As she rebuffed his efforts, she managed to capture his behaviour on her cellphone.

The two twenty-second clips were then sent to their other flatmate as proof of what had happened.

In court, Judge Stephanie Edwards said Lovell’s actions have had a significant effect on the woman. It had damaged some of her relationships as well as her trust in men, the judge said.

“She has suffered countless sleepless nights as your actions left her feeling worthless,” she said.

“You made her feel as if she was an object to help yourself to.”

Judge Edwards said Lovell had expressed remorse the morning after the incident but the woman felt that was feigned in an effort to stop her from pressing charges.

He was sentenced to four months’ community detention.

The former New Zealand Defence Force soldier resigned from his position in the military when the charges were laid, the court heard. He now works on a family farm in Northland.

Family and friends of Lovell told the court that his behaviour on the night of the incident was out of character.

But he said it was due to his drinking problem which he believed had developed in part by the “heavy drinking culture” within the armed forces.