Royal Navy sailors on HMS Queen Elizabeth arrested in Guam on suspicion of groping woman and fighting
TWO sailors serving on the Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, have been arrested after allegedly groping a woman and sparking a street fight in Guam.
Ashley James Mansell, 31, and Fraser Malek, 28, appeared before a judge at the Superior Court of Guam on Thursday afternoon following the fracas in the coastal town of Tumon.
The pair of sailors, pictured in orange jumps suits following their arrest, are part of the UK’s carrier strike group which is on deployment to the Far East and have since been placed on ‘ship arrest’.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence told The News: ‘Two members of the Royal Navy are assisting US authorities with their enquires. As this is an ongoing investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.’
According to court documents, it is alleged that Mansell approached the female victim and started dancing with her while at a nightclub.
The sailor bent over in front of the victim and inappropriately touched her after he reached under her dress, local paper The Guam Daily Post reports.
Court reports claim the victim and some of her friends got into an argument with Mansell and Malek following the incident.
Documents state the victim later spotted the pair of sailors walking in Tumon.
The two Portsmouth-based sailors then got into a heated argument, when Mansell allegedly punched a male victim in the jaw. Malek is also alleged to have smacked another male, causing him to lose consciousness for a couple of minutes.
The Guam Daily Post reported that the first male victim needed surgery to fix two fractures to his jaw.
Mansell was arrested after he fled into the jungle following the fight, court documents added.
The sailor was charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct as a misdemeanor and public drunkenness as a violation. He also was charged separately with aggravated assault as a third-degree felony.
While his comrade, Malek, was charged with two counts of assault as a misdemeanor.
Representing the pair in court, Lt Cdr Oliver Clark asked for the duo to be released from custody ahead of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s departure from Guam today.
Prosecutors had asked that Mansell be locked in jail, claiming he was a potential flight risk.
However, a judge released him on a $10,000 bond.
Malek was also released on a $2,500 bond.
The judge placed both defendants under ‘ship arrest’ meaning that will not be allowed to leave aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth unless they are reassigned.
The defendants are due to appear in court, virtually, on October 7.