'Predatory' female sailor who targeted new recruits jailed for sexually assaulting four shipmates

A female Royal Navy sailor has been jailed and dismissed from the service after a court martial found her guilty of sexually assaulting four shipmates aboard a warship.

Able Seaman Sian Dowsett, 25, was convicted of six counts of sexual assault against male and female colleagues while serving as a chef on the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless.

Sentencing Dowsett at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire, Assistant Judge John Atwill branded her "a predator" who carried out a "disgraceful" campaign of intimidation against fellow sailors.

The court heard Dowsett deliberately targeted newly arrived crew members whom she believed would be less likely to report her behaviour.

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Male sailors told the court she repeatedly grabbed them by the crotch and stroked their arms, while female colleagues said she slapped their backsides, groped their breasts and asked: "Do you like that baby girl?"

Dowsett also made sexually inappropriate comments to colleagues, including: "I like my coffee how I like my men, big and strong."

Her court martial heard she exploited the close quarters of life aboard the warship to prey on vulnerable crew members she believed would be too intimidated to come forward.

One female victim told the court she felt "embarrassed" after being sexually assaulted by a woman of a lower rank.

"I was also embarrassed not only that I had been sexually assaulted by a woman but a woman who was of a lower rank than me and who should look up to me," she said.

She described Dowsett as "an extremely intimidating character" who would "scream and shout at people", adding that living in shared accommodation left her too frightened to report the abuse immediately.

"I honestly believed she would physically attack me," the victim said. "I thought if she knew I reported it her anger would have been uncontrollable."

A male victim said he was left wracked with anxiety and guilt after Dowsett assaulted him in front of two colleagues.

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"I felt guilty that I let it happen but I didn't tell her to get off. I was assaulted again in the hangar," he told the court.

"She did this to me in front of two males I work with which made me feel embarrassed. I stood there in disbelief."

Fellow crew members described Dowsett as "a cancer on the ship", while Judge Atwill said service personnel "have little choice over who they work and live with", making trust and respect essential aboard a warship.

"Your behaviour towards them was disgraceful. You upset, frightened and disconcerted them and you had no regard for the impact of your behaviour," he said.

The judge said Dowsett appeared to have singled out the newest arrivals to HMS Dauntless, describing her as "a predator in that ship".

The court heard Dowsett had recently been diagnosed with autism, which the defence said could contribute to difficulties navigating social and institutional settings.

Rejecting the argument as mitigation, Judge Atwill said the offences were "acts that any person would know are unacceptable".

Dowsett joined the Royal Navy in 2019 before being dismissed following her conviction.

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