British soldiers admit bar brawl with NYPD police officer
Four British soldiers on a rugby trip to the US have admitted being involved in a bar brawl. The soldiers have been tasked with community service in the US and fined.
Four British soldiers in New York for a military rugby tournament did have a brawl with an off-duty New York police officer, they admitted on Friday.
The soldiers, from the Royal Regiment of Scotland, were outside a bar in Murray Hill, Manhattan at 4am on the morning of 30 August, when the fight broke out.
The off-duty NYPD officer suffered a broken nose, swollen jaw, a large cut to his neck, bruises and a cut inside his mouth requiring stitches, according to a police report. His phone was also taken. One of the soldiers also received stitches it was reported at the time. The soldiers included Fijian nationals, and were in the US for a rugby game.
One of the soldiers – Thomas Shute – has been given a community service sentence in New York and fined. Court records show that one Ratu-losefo Yavala pleaded guilty to misdemeanour assault and petit larceny, the theft of another person’s property.
Mosese Kurulala and Iliakini Raderua pleaded guilty to violations, which are not crimes under US law.
The soldiers also face separate discipline from the British army. The Ministry of Defence warned that those who fall short of army standards could be discharged.
A spokesman said: “All those who are found to fall short of the army’s high standards or who are found to have committed an offence under the armed forces act are dealt with administratively (up to and including discharge) or through the discipline process, as appropriate.
“We have a common law and data protection act duty to protect the personal information of our employees and, as such, we are not prepared to release any personal information relating to this case.”