NZ Army Burnham soldier faces court-martial over strangulation accusations

A Burnham soldier is facing a court-martial over strangulation accusations.

A New Zealand Army soldier is being accused of strangling his former partner.

The soldier, who is facing the court-martial at Burnham Military Camp near Christchurch, has interim suppression of his name and image, but it can be reported that he has a rank of corporal.

The alleged offending occurred in 2019, in two instances, 10 months apart. The complainant and the accused were both soldiers in the New Zealand Army at the time and were two years into a relationship.

In an opening address this morning, it was alleged that on both occasions the accused had been drinking heavily and became enraged with the complainant before strangling her.

The first incident in January 2019 is alleged to have occurred in the barracks room after returning from a house party. The complainant alleges that her former partner was angry that she wouldn’t let him continue drinking. She says he pushed her against a door and placed his hands around her neck.

The second incident in October 2019 was during a Halloween party at the soldiers’ bar at Burnham.

Again, the accused was intoxicated and the complainant had suggested they should leave as he’d had enough.

Angry, the accused allegedly placed his hands around the complainant’s neck for a short time before witnesses intervened. Those witnesses will be called to give evidence.

The complaints weren’t reported to military police until last year.

On behalf of the accused, defence counsel Andrew McCormick told the court that his client accepts that he had been drinking heavily on both occasions and that incidents had occurred, but denies putting his hands around the complainant’s throat, suggesting she was the aggressor.

Their relationship ended in 2020 and the complainant left the military in 2024.

Makeshift screens were erected in court to prevent the accused and the complainant from seeing each other. Their entrance to court was carefully choreographed to ensure they were kept out of each other’s view.

The hearing, set down for three days before Judge Tini Clark, continues.