Royal Navy sailor accused of sexually assaulting female colleague on HMS Prince of Wales said he thought 'she was a lesbian'

Able Seaman Daniel Goffey, who allegedly forcibly kissed the sailor after a navy barbecue on the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier, insisted it was 'the kind of thing I would have done with a male colleague'.

The 25-year-old marine engineer is also accused of sexually assaulting a second female sailor by grabbing her bottom as she stood in a group and again as she climbed a ladder.

But, AB Goffey – who is based in Portsmouth – has denied sexually assaulting either of the sailors and claimed he was acting in a 'gentlemanly way'.

Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, has heard the alleged attacks happened following an alcohol-fuelled barbecue on the huge four-acre flight deck of £3.2bn aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales – which is the biggest warship in the Royal Navy’s fleet..

The court heard AB Goffey was 'intoxicated' and made his two alleged victims – who can't be named for legal reasons - feel 'very uncomfortable' by squeezing their bottoms.

One sailor said she felt 'trapped' as the intoxicated engineer put his arm around her, groped her buttocks, and later 'grabbed her face and pecked her all over'.

The other sailor said she felt AB Goffey grab her bottom then tried to get rid of him by going up a ladder - only for him to grab her again as he followed her up it.

Now, giving evidence, AB Goffey has admitted he could be 'very confident' after a few drinks but denied abusing the sailors.

He said he ran out of alcohol and was trying to encourage the sailors to go to another party.

SEE ALSO: Girl, nine, is found after appeal in Havant

AB Goffey said he put his arm around one of them and said ‘come on let's go’ and had done so in a 'gentlemanly way' to 'usher her away' to the party.

AB Goffey also denied touching the woman's behind while he was following her up a ladder because he would not have been able to balance himself.

He said: ‘You have to grab the handrails to go up those ladders.

‘Everyone was drunk so you would definitely have needed to grab the handles.’

The engineer also told the court that later on in another mess, he had kissed one of the women on the forehead in a 'friendly way'.

AB Goffey said: ‘It was in the spirit of the night, there was nothing sexual about it.

‘I knew she was a lesbian.

‘It's the kind of thing I would have done with a male colleague.’

It has been heard that AB Goffey was kicked out of the mess because of his behaviour and beaten by three male sailors - but he claims he does not know why he 'had his head kicked in'.

AB Goffey, now understood to be based at HMS Nelson, in Portsmouth, denies three counts of sexual assault.

The trial continues.