Vincentian instructor in the British Armed Forces dismissed

Over the last two months, Vincentians serving in the British Armed Forces have turned up before the law courts both here and in England facing serious criminal charges.  

On January 18, DailyMail.com reported that Vincentian Bombardier, Elan Joseph, a British Army instructor was dismissed from the armed forces and given an 18-month community order. 

Joseph, said to be from the Central Kingstown area was dragged before the courts accused of 13 charges relating to five female recruits. He later pleaded guilty to nine charges of contravening standing orders and prejudicial conduct. 

The Daily Mail also reported that a court martial cleared him of one charge of sexual assault by touching and another of entering a female recruit’s room and touching her feet as she slept. 

“He was also convicted of agreeing to let a trainee meet her boyfriend ‘after bed check’ in return for a ‘favour’ and telling another to ‘get up and walk’ so he could ‘look at her a**e’ while she was wearing pajamas,” the Daily Mail reported.  

Joseph worked at the Larkhill Royal School of Artillery, the Army’s principal training establishment for artillery warfare and the judge who dealt with the case told Joseph that he crossed the line in his relationships with the “impressionable” young recruits and there were sexual connotations in his behaviour. 

The sentence puts Joseph, who is married with two children at risk of deportation to St. Vincent.  

The court heard that Joseph gave his telephone number to young recruits and collected takeaway food for them.  

It was also said in court that he offered to squeeze a trainee’s buttocks in lieu of payment; he bought bottles of liquor for recruits and in one instance he took a recruit off camp when she was not allowed. 

“He also sent a text message to a trainee of traveller heritage, saying “If I grab you by the hair that will make you mine”, (alluding to) a custom in traveller heritage,” the Daily Mail reported.  

Also ending up before the law courts during the month of January were three British Soldiers from Chester Cottage. The army men are Brently Butler, Keithron Mills and Keri Phillips. 

Butler had the charge against him dismissed on Friday January 21. He was charged that on December 24, 2021, at Mt Young, he unlawfully discharged a firearm at Emi Balcombe of Langley Park. 

Butler was freed as Balcombe did not attend court despite knowing the matter was scheduled to be heard. 

On the other hand, Mills was not so lucky and was jailed one week (on January 28) after his colleague was freed.  

He is currently serving a two year eight month sentence for having, on January 2, 2022, at Georgetown, a .45 pistol, without a license. 

Meanwhile, Phillips has been ordered by the Serious Offence Court (SOC) to face trial at the High Court at the end of his Preliminary Inquiry yesterday, January 31.

He is charged that on December 26, with the intent to commit the offence of murder on Istah Mack, he did an act which was more than merely preparatory.  

The local trials were, and are being monitored by the British Armed Forces and some of the court proceedings were attended by Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer Dean Goodey.