A senior Royal New Zealand Navy commander has been cleared of misconduct following a court martial that examined an alleged off-duty incident during an overseas deployment in 2023.
Bronwyn Heslop, who can now be named, was found not guilty by a military panel after a two-day hearing at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland.
The panel unanimously rejected a charge that Heslop had done an act likely to prejudice service discipline, after allegedly encouraging a junior officer under her command to kiss her on the cheek while socialising ashore.
She had denied the allegation from the outset.
What the case was about
The court heard that Heslop was commanding officer of HMNZS Canterbury during a deployment to Fiji in March 2023, supporting Operation Mahi Tahi.
The alleged incident was said to have occurred while ship’s company were ashore in Lautoka, socialising at a civilian bar following the ship’s arrival.
Prosecutors alleged Heslop encouraged a junior officer to kiss her on the cheek in view of other personnel – behaviour they argued undermined military discipline, even in a social setting.
Evidence before the panel
The Crown’s case centred on the testimony of the junior officer involved, who told the court he felt encouraged to kiss Heslop during the evening and described the moment as “shocking”.
He said he did not initially report the incident, telling the panel he feared speaking up could affect his career and future deployments.
During cross-examination, the officer accepted he had been drinking that night, had made mistakes recalling some surrounding details, and had lied when first questioned by Military Police in 2024. He told the court he later came forward after reflecting on the incident and discussing it with a psychologist.
The defence argued those inconsistencies and concessions undermined the reliability of his account.
Commander’s response
Heslop gave evidence herself, which she was not required to do, rejecting the allegation and saying she did not encourage the junior officer to kiss her.
She told the court she had no recollection of the specific interaction described and said greetings such as a hug or kiss on the cheek were common and culturally normal in social environments, including among naval personnel off duty.
She maintained nothing about the evening felt improper and denied any conduct that could have affected discipline on board the ship.
A third witness, a senior officer who accompanied Heslop that night, also gave evidence, telling the panel he did not see the alleged interaction and observed nothing inappropriate.
Judge’s guidance
In his summing up, William Hastings told the military panel the case turned on two competing versions of events.
“There are two different accounts of what happened that evening that is the heart of the matter,” he said.
Judge Hastings reminded the panel that Heslop did not have to prove her innocence, and that it was not their task to decide which account they preferred, but whether the Crown had proved each element of the charge beyond reasonable doubt.
He also stressed the verdict had to be unanimous and based solely on the evidence heard in court.
Verdict and aftermath
After deliberating, the panel returned a verdict of not guilty.
No application was made for permanent name suppression. Interim suppression orders that had applied during the trial lapsed at its conclusion and were formally rescinded, allowing Heslop to be named.
In a statement following the verdict, Heslop’s lawyer Matthew Hague said the decision vindicated her position.
“Commander Heslop has always maintained her innocence and the unanimous decision today of the court martial to dismiss the charge is the right decision,” he said.
“Commander Heslop has given 36 years of committed service to the Royal New Zealand Navy and this process has taken an immense toll on her and her family. I question the decision of the Defence Force to bring these charges.”
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