A decorated officer from the Royal Military Police has lost both his job and his reputation after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a colleague during a night out.
What makes the case particularly shocking is that the incident happened just hours after he attended a training course on tackling inappropriate sexual behaviour within the Army.
From Training Room to Troubling Actions
Lieutenant Liam Hulkes, 31, had spent the day at Worthy Down, Hampshire, where one of the key topics was workplace misconduct.
But later that evening, after dinner and drinks at the officers’ mess, witnesses saw his behaviour spiral out of control.
Despite being responsible for investigating Army sex crimes himself, he became the very example of the conduct he was meant to prevent.
Unwanted Advances
During the night, Hulkes repeatedly pursued a female civil servant, making crude and explicit comments.
Prosecutors told the court he kept telling her he wanted to sleep with her, even though she made it clear she wasn’t interested.
Others nearby noticed her discomfort and tried to step in, but Hulkes continued.
Crossing the Line
The situation escalated when he touched her without consent.
At the bar, he reached around and cupped her bottom, leaving her frozen with fear.
The victim later said the sudden assault felt like not just a violation of her body, but an invasion of her personal boundaries and dignity.
A Judge’s Strong Rebuke
At a court martial in Catterick, North Yorkshire, Hulkes was dismissed from the Army and handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for a year.
Judge Andrew Smith did not mince words, calling his actions “predatory sexualised behaviour.”
He reminded Hulkes that as an officer of the Royal Military Police, he should have been one of the first to uphold the standards he ignored.
The Victim’s Lasting Pain
In a powerful statement, the victim explained that she continues to feel haunted by the incident.
She said she had been left psychologically scarred, describing the assault as dehumanising and deeply traumatic.
“I did not consent, I did not reciprocate, and I did not deserve this,” she told the court.
Consequences Beyond the Courtroom
Although Hulkes denied wrongdoing, the jury convicted him of one count of sexual assault.
He will now remain on the sex offenders register for seven years.
For a man who once had an impeccable service record and dreamed of a long Army career, the fallout has been devastating.
His defence lawyer admitted that Hulkes had effectively thrown his future away in a “moment of madness.”
A Wider Problem in the Army
This case has also raised broader concerns.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Hulkes was one of six junior Army officers facing court martial over sexual offence allegations.
The irony is glaring: the very force tasked with investigating serious crimes within the Army continues to wrestle with its own internal culture of misconduct.