Drunk major growled then bit female officer

A top-ranking army officer accused of growling like a dog and twice biting a female officer during a drunken party has admitted charges of assault and drunkenness.

Major Stefan Michie was fined $750 and stripped of six months' seniority after pleading guilty to the charges at a court martial at Trentham army base this week.

The experienced soldier had held the rank of operations officer in the provincial reconstruction team in Bamiyan province, Afghanistan.

The charges stemmed from an incident at a party at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel Bar in Penang, Malaysia, in September last year.

The 110-strong team was returning to New Zealand from its deployment in Afghanistan. The court was told that Major Michie assaulted a female officer, whose name is suppressed, after she asked why a fellow officer was almost sent home during the deployment.

According to evidence, Major Michie gritted his teeth, growled like a dog, tripped her up and bit her on the shin. After she stood up, Major Michie tripped her again by twisting her arm behind her back and putting his leg between hers. While she was on the floor he bit her again on the thigh.

Prosecutor Major Steve Taylor said witnesses described Major Michie as very drunk, staggering and drooling, wide-eyed and growling like a rabid dog.

He said it was bizarre behaviour fuelled by an over-indulgence in alcohol after being "on the dry" for eight months.

It was unacceptable behaviour in the public eye and in the view of subordinates and the victim continued to be affected physically and emotionally by the incident, he said.

Major Michie's counsel, Colonel Craig Ruane, said it was a fall from grace by a distinguished officer who had been under stress on a long deployment.

The female officer and Major Michie had had a good working relationship and there had been no animosity between them.

Colonel Ruane said Major Michie was ashamed and remorseful, had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had tried to apologise.

- NZPA