Sex Dream Clears Sailor Of Rape

A Sailor was cleared yesterday of raping a Wren (The Women's Royal Naval Service [WRNS, popularly known as 'Wrens']) in their warship, The HMS Bulwark, after a jury heard that she had had a sexy dream in her bunk bed. The woman said she had been having a dream in which she was engaged in foreplay with her Royal Marine boyfriend, Plymouth Crown Court heard. But she said she awoke at 3.30am to find Christopher Ellerington, 23, a marine engineering mechanic, on top of her in her bottom bunk bed which had a space of only 15in above the mattress.HMS BulwarkAt first she thought it was her boyfriend but she told the jury that she realised she was being attacked when she shone the light from her mobile phone in Ellerington's face. She claimed: "He was touching me and then I realised he was having sex with me. I was shocked and angry and told him to get out." Ellerington said she kissed him and put her hand down his trousers before saying: "What are you doing? I thought you were my boyfriend." He said he had gone to the Wren's quarters to check that she was all right after a night out in pubs and clubs in Plymouth. She consented to his touching her because she mistook him for her boyfriend but they did not have sexual intercourse, he said. The court heard that the alleged attack took place when The HMS Bulwark was moored at Devonport, Plymouth. Ellerington, from Hull, denied raping and sexually assaulting the Wren on Feb 17 last year and was cleared of both charges. He has been transferred to another ship. A Navy spokesman said the commanding officer would review the case and decide whether Ellerington should face any disciplinary action.