A LANCE Corporal who sexually assaulted a woman following a booze-fuelled night out has been jailed after a judge disagreed with the assertion he was a “perfect soldier”.

Joshua Meider, 27, had ventured into Colchester with a group of fellow soldiers, drinking alcohol over the course of about two hours.

Ipswich Crown Court heard he went on to sexually assault a woman in the early hours of the morning.

The court heard the victim was asleep when the sexual touching began, and when she awoke she “froze and pretended to be asleep”, hoping it would cause Meider to leave.

After initially denying any assault in his first police interview, he went on to admit one charge of assault by penetration.

The court heard there had been an unacceptable delay in bringing the case to a conclusion, with the offence committed in 2018.

Emma Nash, mitigating, said Meider has no previous convictions and described the attack as an isolated incident.

In a letter to the judge, the soldier “demonstrated a real, genuine understanding of what he did and how much it would have impacted on [the victim]”.

References from commanding officers also described his “impressive Army record”, describing him as the “perfect soldier”.

A Captain took to the witness box to tell the judge the Army would consider keeping him on if he was spared immediate custody.

He said he could teach a lesson to other soldiers, telling the judge: “There is a problem we have in the Army with this sort of behaviour in young soldiers, especially when alcohol is involved.

“If he was able to help other soldiers, maybe we can stop this happening again.”

But Judge Emma Peters rubbished any suggestion the Army’s hierarchy would consider keeping Meider as a serving soldier in the light of his conviction.

She said: “What I find extraordinary is a crown court is being told the army would consider retaining this soldier.”

She said this consideration is “unrealistic” and did Meider “no favours” by raising his hopes.

She added: “The Army may want to consider whether any soldier who commits this kind of offence can be described as the perfect soldier.”

Meider, of Dishforth, Thirsk, in North Yorkshire, was jailed for two years and six months and will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.

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