A female Royal Navy chef has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and dismissed from service after being convicted of sexually assaulting four colleagues aboard a warship. The incidents occurred on HMS Dauntless, a destroyer, where Able Seaman Sian Dowsett, 25, targeted new crew members.

At Bulford military court, Assistant Judge Advocate John Atwill detailed the assaults, describing how Dowsett physically assaulted a male chef by slapping him on the buttocks on multiple occasions while he was working. The court also heard that Dowsett groped a female colleague’s breasts as she was topless and changing, including pushing and gripping her nipples. Dowsett faced six charges of sexual assault and was found guilty in March.

Testimony from the victims underscored the impact of Dowsett’s actions. One female victim described her as an intimidating figure who frequently screamed and shouted at others on board, causing her significant distress and sleepless nights. A male victim recounted being assaulted in the ship’s sick bay and expressed feelings of guilt over not resisting or stopping the assault.

In her defense, Dowsett was said to have recently received a diagnosis of autism. Her legal representative, Michael Green, argued that this condition may have contributed to social exploitation and misunderstandings in interpersonal interactions, suggesting it played a role in her conduct.

Following the conviction, Dowsett was formally dismissed from the Royal Navy. The court’s ruling emphasized the seriousness of the offenses and the breach of trust involved in the assaults on fellow service members.