A navy sailor accused of strangling two comrades says he did so not to impede their breathing, but out of anger – and for thrill.
He has also denied being racist after making comments to fellow sailors about their race.
The Royal New Zealand Navy ordinary rate (rank of a sailor) is facing charges of strangulation, and using insulting language, at a court martial at Devonport Naval Base.
The 19-year-old sailor, who has interim name suppression, denies the offending, which allegedly took place at navy accommodation in early 2023.
On Monday, the two complainants told the court martial they almost passed out as they were being strangled – one with a long rag and the other with the accused’s hands.
“Everything started to go a bit blurry and faint,” one victim said.
One of the victims was allegedly subject to racist comments by the accused, including that he “doesn’t like Indians”, which made him feel undervalued.
On Wednesday, the accused told the court he didn’t intend to impede the breathing of either victim when he strangled them.
To put a rag around the first victim’s neck, and tighten it, was a “thrill”, he said.
“I wanted to see how far I could take it.”
The victim seemed amused, he added.
“I thought he was OK with it.”
The accused said he put both hands around the second victim’s neck after he repeatedly told him to go away during a dispute over an ironing board.
He had acted out of anger, he said.
“I was very emotional and angry.”
“I’m not in the habit of choking people.”
He had previously applied pressure to his own neck and arteries for up to a minute, to get a “radiating or pulsating feeling around the head area” when he released his hands.
“I liked the feeling it gave me.”
But he was not trying to emulate this effect when he strangled his comrades, he said.
The sailor admitted commenting on the race of two of his comrades, including that he “hated Indians” and that one sailor – whom he found annoying and a “below average sailor” – had “ruined” his view of Indian people.
But he denied he was racist and said the comments were not meant to be insulting. The comments were intended to be “comedic”, he said.
He believed the comments were funny as they were “outrageous” and “unexpected” from him.
“They seemed to find them funny... They laughed,” he told the court martial.
Caroline Williams/Stuff
The court martial previously heard that the victims thought they were going to pass out during the alleged strangulations.
The sailor’s lawyer, Nathan Batts, told the court martial his client had a dark and strange sense of humour.
On Monday, the court heard that the first victim was walking out of a closet when the sailor allegedly went up behind him and hooked a long rag around his neck and tightened it, without warning.
“I couldn’t breathe or anything. I didn’t know what was going on.”
The victim had to lay on the ground to recover from the alleged strangulation, which almost made him pass out and left him with a mark on his neck, prosecutor flight lieutenant Charlie Haines said.
The sailor is alleged to have made a comment along the lines of: “You should be thanking me, it’s a good feeling getting to the stage before passing out”.
The second victim said he was ironing his uniform in preparation for a kit muster – when sailors must iron and lay their entire uniform on their bed – when he was called away.
When the victim returned, his uniform was on the floor and the accused was using the ironing board.
After several ignored requests from the victim for the accused to give the iron back, the victim unplugged it from the wall.
The sailor then allegedly grabbed the victim’s neck with his hands and applied pressure, pushing him up against a bunk bed and restricting his breathing until he felt like he would pass out.
“I felt like I was losing my breath, but I was still conscious. I felt like I could not breathe,” he said, adding that he felt scared.
“It was so unexpected that I didn’t know what to do.”
The victim said the accused had made comments about his race since the day they moved into the navy accommodation.
Over time, the offensive comments made him feel “not good at all”.
The court martial before Judge Mina Wharepouri continues.
What is a court martial?
The court martial oversees cases where a breach of military discipline or other offences may have occurred.
Possible sentences include prison and dismissal from the forces, detention, demotion, severe reprimand or a fine.
A judge presides over the court martial and a panel of military members will decide if the accused is guilty or not guilty.
If found guilty, the military members and the judge will decide the sentence.
Court martial decisions can be appealed.
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