Royal Marine captain accused of rape after inviting woman to stay overnight

Bournemouth Crown Court heard that the woman informed police during her interview that she had been “really clear” about not wanting to have sex with Shepherd and “didn’t really want to share a bed” with him. 

She remembered telling Shepherd “no” and “whimpering, because it hurt.” 

Richard Onslow, for the prosecution, said: “This is a case where the defendant simply ignored a woman saying ‘no, no, stop it.’ He just carried on regardless.” 

Shepherd, who was based at Hamworthy Barracks in Poole, Dorset, at the time, claims the pair engaged in consensual sex. 

The woman was left with several bruises and visited a sexual assault referral center two days later, where she was examined and her injuries were documented. She disclosed what happened to several people connected to the base and was taken to the camp policeman, the court heard. She made an official report to the police a few weeks later. 

The court heard that the woman visited the base during the day on November 23, 2023. Shepherd left the bar before she did, but the pair messaged on WhatsApp, and he invited her to stay with him. 

Onslow said: “He messaged her again ‘we fancy each other, right?’ She said ‘yes but I just want to sleep.’”

She arrived at his room at 2:20 am to find Shepherd wearing only boxer shorts. They shared a bed, but the court heard that she positioned herself on the edge. 

The court heard he was forceful in attempting to have sex before giving up. The woman tried to go to sleep, but allegedly woke up later to find him trying again. She said she once again said no. 

The officer is alleged to have pushed her down with his hands and knees and at one point put an arm around her neck and pulled her hair. 

Onslow added: “It seemed to her the more she said no and tried to wriggle away, the more turned on he got. She decided to get it over with — which is not true consent. She said stop, but he continued.”

Onslow said that when interviewed, Shepherd suggested the bruises could have resulted from his body weight.

The woman said she was made to feel like the guilty party when she attempted to report the matter to the military police. She said the camp policeman was more interested in determining whether she should have been on the base in the first place. 

She expressed her fear that “they are going to ban me from camp, my face is going to be on every WhatsApp group, that’s what they do.” 

She believed the policeman was “more concerned about protecting the reputation of the camp.” 

She said the policeman had implied it was her fault “because I had a drink and didn’t have my clothes on.” She was also concerned about Shepherd’s wife and children finding out.