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A history-making female soldier showered a subordinate with 'chocolates and a scented candle' and repeatedly pinched his bottom, a court martial has heard.
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martial → see → bottom
Warrant Officer Emma Colton, 39, was the British Army's first ever female Master Tailor - a fully trained frontline soldier who also specialises as a senior bespoke tailor.
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who → train → tailor
She is alleged to have followed a male sergeant around an Army base on the Falkland Islands and poked him in the bottom while he exercised in the gym, before 'giggling' about it.
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he → allege → it
The officer also 'flirted' with her junior colleague, as well as buying him Lindt chocolates, strawberries and a scented candle, which he felt was 'inappropriate' and 'a bit weird'.
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he → flirt → chocolates
WO Co;ton denies two counts of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire.
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Co;ton → deny → Court
The officer made history by becoming a Master Tailor in the Royal Horse Artillery, responsible for upholding dress standards in the prestigious ceremonial unit.
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officer → make → unit
Bulford Military Court was told WO Colton then moved to the 47 Regiment of the Royal Artillery and was deployed to the South Atlantic islands and stationed in RAF Mount Pleasant on the Falklands.
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Colton → tell → Falklands
Her subordinate, a sergeant, was a part of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and joined the regiment with WO Colton as his sergeant major, describing her as 'his boss'.
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subordinate → join → boss
He said in a police interview: 'I met her last year and we were quite friendly.
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we → say → her
'We might have even flirted but it was just the way mates do, you know.
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you → flirt → ?
She would sometimes touch me but I didn't think anything of it, I still don't.
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I → touch → it
She started following me around a little bit.
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She → start → me
'She grabbed my a*** a few times, she pinched my a***.
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she → grab → *
At that point the juniors thought we were a thing but we weren't.
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we → think → point
'She bought me chocolates and a scented candle.
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She → buy → chocolates
There's nothing wrong with buying people stuff but I thought the scented candle was inappropriate.
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candle → be → stuff
I remember saying to another sergeant it was a bit weird.'
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it → remember → sergeant
Warrant Officer Emma Colton, 39, was the British Army's first ever female Master Tailor - a fully trained frontline soldier who also specialises as a senior bespoke tailor
In November 2024, a colleague claimed to have witnessed WO Colton pinching the Sergeant on the bottom while they were walking outside.
Then later in the month, it is alleged that WO Colton 'really crossed a line'.
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Colton → train → line
The sergeant said: 'I was at the gym, on the cable machine, and she walked past and basically stuck her finger in my bum.
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she → say → bum
I thought "who the f*** was that?" and turned around and she was smiling and walking away.
'
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she → think → ?
I remember confronting her about it and she said "you should've moved faster" and I said "how about you don't touch me?".
'
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you → remember → me
She tried to laugh it off.
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She → try → it
We stopped really talking after that, she went off me.
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she → talk → me
After I basically told her off for touching me we had arguments a lot more in the mess and if I argued with anyone else she was very ready to back them up.
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she → tell → them
The whole relationship changed.
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relationship → change → ?
I felt like it was massively inappropriate but I didn't feel raped.
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I → feel → ?
'I don't want to ruin her career.
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I → want → career
She's a nice person but she doesn't know where the line is.'
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line → know → ?
He added: 'I did have to pull my boxers out afterwards.
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I → add → boxers
It was not until months after, in February 2025, that the sergeant mentioned it to his commanding officer from the UK who was visiting the Falklands base and decided to report it.
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who → mention → it
WO Colton was interviewed under caution about what had happened in June 2025.
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what → interview → June
She said: 'I got on with him at first, he was quite forward-leaning, but once he was promoted became quite abrasive.
'
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he → say → him
I had a conversation to say he needed to change his attitude.
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he → have → attitude
She added: 'I absolutely don't find him attractive.
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him → add → ?
I'm in a ten-year relationship with my partner, we've got our own house and have plans to undergo IVF.
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we → get → IVF
The only physical contact we've made is when he's spotted me at the gym.'
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he → make → gym
She claimed she had bought him the Lindt chocolate and strawberries for his birthday, saying that the sergeant had thanked her because everyone had forgotten his birthday.
'
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everyone → claim → birthday
I'm shocked because I've always got on with him personally and professionally.
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I → shock → him
I feel like it's been done viciously,' she said.
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she → feel → ?
The trial continues.
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trial → continue → ?
The Aporia
