A soldier has been found guilty at court martial of threatening to kill a superior officer and using insulting language, but was acquitted of headbutting him.
The military panel deliberated for almost three hours before returning verdicts at Linton Military Camp near Palmerston North on 25 June 2026. Sentencing on the two guilty verdicts is scheduled for Friday.
The confrontation occurred on 6 December 2024 at Waiouru Military Camp following a cocktail party. It was linked to a disputed kiss between the senior officer and the soldier's partner that had occurred earlier in the year.
The soldier's partner claimed the senior officer kissed her without invitation after a function, while the senior officer claimed she initiated the kiss. The Crown alleged the soldier ambushed his colleague after the cocktail party due to anger over the incident, while the defence argued there was no threat or headbutt and any physical contact was self-defence.
Only the senior officer testified to seeing a headbutt, with no other witnesses corroborating it. Defence lawyer Deborah Davies told the court: "This started with a kiss. It ended with a melee fuelled by alcohol, aggrievement and embarrassment."
The soldier's name remains suppressed, with the suppression order to be discussed at sentencing. Three other charges related to the incident were dropped on Wednesday.