Bombardier 'pinned down' and raped a woman on the morning of her birthday as she told him 'no', court martial told

Published: 17:00, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 17:23, 7 July 2026 A bombardier 'pinned down' and raped a woman on the morning of her birthday after she told him 'no', a court martial has heard.  Bombardier Michael Murley allegedly told her 'I would have finished by now if you just let me do it' as she repeatedly told him 'no' and that she did not want to have sex with him.  She could not push Bdr Murley off her and later 'broke down in distress' about the rape, the court heard.  Bdr Murley - whose rank in the Royal Artillery is equivalent to a Corporal in standard  branches of the British Army - faces one count of rape at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire.  The woman, who is also a bombardier, had gone out to celebrate her birthday with two others in 2024, said prosecutor Graham Coombes.  They had socialised and sung along to music clips from YouTube.   She then asked Bdr Murley to pick her up and take her home - where they had consensual sex that evening.  The next morning she left Bdr Murley in bed so that she could go to a weigh-in for a tug of war competition.  Bombardier Michael Murley (pictured) faces a trial for one count of rape at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire When she came back home, he was still in bed - and the attack happened shortly thereafter. Mr Coombes said: 'When returning, the accused tried to have sex with her. 'She kept telling him "no". He said to her "I would have finished by now if you just let me do it" 'She tried to wriggle out of the accused’s grip saying she did not want to do it because she didn’t have time.'  'The accused then pushed her down on the bed.' She repeatedly pleaded with Bdr Murley to stop but he then 'pushed her head down', said Mr Coombes.  He said: 'She kept trying to wriggle away and she kept telling him to please stop. She tried to push him off her.'  She was left in 'shock' and was just 'staring at the curtains' after the attack, the prosecutor said. Bdr Murley then left 'like nothing had happened' and said that he was going on 'another date that evening', he added.  Later that day, the woman 'broke down in distress' to her colleagues and told them what happened.  She was referred to a sexual assault referral centre and gave a statement.  When interviewed by the police, Bdr Murley said that no sexual activity took place that morning. He denied raping the woman in a subsequent interview.   Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.