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Two New Zealand Army soldiers assaulted by their superior while serving in East Timor have been described as the "weaklings" in their section of men.
Corporal Paul Dudley has admitted eight charges against him in a court martial, including assaults on Private Mark Pullan and Private Samuel Millar with a Steyr rifle.
He has been found not guilty of a charge of threatening to shoot Private Pullan because of lack of evidence at the trial at Canterbury's Burnham Military Camp.
Dudley denies six other charges, including two alleged assaults - a punch and a kick - against Private Pullan, and assaulting Private Millar by throwing a cup of hot coffee at him.
The two young privates were on their first overseas missions and have been described by their fellow soldiers as the least experienced and capable of those in their section.
Dudley's lawyer, Colonel Craig Ruane, said the pair were the "weaklings in the section and not quite as sharp as the rest".
The Army prosecution claims that after assaulting soldiers in the section he led in East Timor last year, Dudley also used threatening language to members of his section, by telling them: "When I found the nark, watch out."
But Colonel Ruane told the court martial that it was only "venting or letting off steam" and was not meant to threaten. The assaults denied by Dudley allegedly occurred between June and August last year.
On one occasion, the prosecution said Dudley punched Private Pullan in the head while on patrol, because he was angry about his performance.
The next day, Dudley allegedly kicked Private Pullan as he was detaining a suspect on the ground.
"This is just Corporal Dudley carrying on from where he left off the night before," said army prosecutor Major Phil Bellamy.
Colonel Ruane said there was no dispute there was some physical contact, but Dudley was only trying to get Private Pullan's attention.
Private Millar was walking down stairs after being told off by Dudley when a cup of coffee was allegedly thrown at him.
The civilian judge advocate sitting on the military committee hearing the court martial will sum up the case today before the committee retires to consider its verdicts.
