‘Sergeant major had no reason to lurk near girls’ room’

Mar 12 2008 Western Mail

A COLLEAGUE of a sergeant major accused of filming young girls as they undressed told a court she found him a “bit creepy”.

Richard Brown is accused of taking indecent photographs and films while working as a warrant officer at Cwrt y Gollen training camp in Crickhowell, Powys, between June and November 2005.

Boys and girls aged 14 to 16 came from local schools to take part in an Army preparation course called Look At Life, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Corporal Lucy Russell worked alongside Brown at the training camp in Crickhowell and described one occasion in October 2005 where she came across him clad in black clothes near the female accommodation block at night.

When defending barrister John Ryan asked why the defendant would not be entitled to walk around and check everything if he was in overall control of the courses, Cpl Russell answered, “There is no reason to be lurking around the females’ accommodation, no matter what anybody says.”

When asked by prosecutor Ieuan Morris about her superior’s behaviour towards females on courses, Cpl Russell replied, “I believe he was too friendly – he was abusing his position a bit.

“I noticed he would be a bit too talkative and too hands-on. Maybe he would touch them on their shoulders and be a bit creepy.”

Brown, a 42-year-old father, denies 13 counts including seven of taking indecent images of a child, five of voyeurism, and one of possessing indecent images of children.

Brown’s wife Lynne came across films at their home in Mattel Way, Crickhowell, in October 2006.

She handed four CDs of material to police.

Officers then searched Brown’s garage where they found “a large number of images” and a Canon Powershot camera, used to film them.

Police also searched the sergeant major’s drawers in his office and found a laptop containing more images.

There were 68 films on CDs and the laptop, and one on the camera’s memory card.

They showed girls in a ground floor dormitory getting changed for bed, often in a state of undress.

Much of yesterday’s court proceedings were taken up by the jury being shown the photographs and films found on the confiscated laptop and CDs.

When Brown was arrested in November 2006 he made a statement claiming he did not make the films and had been set up by somebody with a grudge who planted the incriminating photos and films.

Cpl Russell told the jury yesterday that she thought nobody else had access to the laptop computer or camera.

The trial continues.