Soldier who violated woman during rough sex thrown out of Army.

A soldier has been dismissed from the Army after being convicted of sexual assault. Sapper Thomas Herrington, 20, was accused of assaulting a woman while she was intoxicated at a party.

Herrington, formerly of 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment, was accused of pulling the woman around his bedroom by her hair and tying her to his bed with a dressing gown belt. He was also accused of performing a sex act on her that he knew she "absolutely hated".

A military court dismissed two charges of rape, but Herrington was found guilty of sexual assault by penetration. The woman told the court that Herrington put his thumb in her bottom, an act she described as "horrifying" and "violating".

The woman, who was intoxicated at the party, said she passed out on a bed before Herrington was seen carrying her to his bedroom. She claimed he gained pleasure from her struggles, dragged her by the hair when she tried to escape, and pinned her down, leading her to fear for her life.

Herrington claimed the woman consented to the sexual activity, stating they had previously engaged in "rough, kinky sex" and that she had enjoyed the encounter that night. He also said he had asked about her "pain threshold" to ensure her comfort.

However, Judge Advocate Alistair McGrigor dismissed Herrington's claims, stating that "rough interactions have their own inherent danger. Boundaries must be respected - you knew because she had told you she agreed to rough sex but that did not include anal activity. It was abhorrent to her. This was a boundary you should have respected."

In addition to his dismissal, Herrington was sentenced to a three-year community order, 240 days of unpaid work, and will be on the sex offender register for five years. He also recently failed a drugs test.

The victim, in a statement read to the court, said she was struggling to cope with the guilt and shame she felt following the incident.