US force personnel being tried on their bases for crimes they committed off base and off duty

July 2026

The rape, drugging and strangulation of a British woman by a US pilot may have gone completely unnoticed. Sarah Steele, an academic, had a relationship with a US air force pilot during which violence was used and she alleged he had unprotected sex without her wishes. She had a drug etizolam in her blood stream. This is an increasingly popular date rape drug especially when combined with alcohol.

Those who followed the Brexit arguments a decade ago will recall that one of the arguments used by those wishing to leave the European Union was a desire to ‘take back control’ and the related issue of sovereignty. These arguments persist today with a desire for the UK to leave the European Convention. There an almost uncountable number of articles to this effect.

Yet here we have a serious and significant breach of UK sovereignty with a British woman having been savagely raped, being tried by American men on an American base in front of an American colonel with a stars and stripes flag behind him. Apart from the Guardian newspaper – the only journalists to be present – none of those same newspapers who relentlessly disparaged the EU were present. There is little sign of them having followed the story up either. Could it be possible that as many of them are American owned they have declined to soil their pages with the story?

Primitive treatment

The treatment of Ms Steele was primitive by UK legal standards. Apart from the whole thing being run by men and colleagues of the airman accused (who declined as was his right to give evidence) the Americans imported a particularly aggressive lawyer for cross-examination. His name is Tim Bilecki. He specialises in courts marshals and flies around the world defending servicemen. There are pages and pages of encomia on line (we gave up after 8 pages of them).

In court he accused her of being a ‘sex obsessed liar’. He said she was financially motivated and had fabricated the allegations as part of an elaborate scheme to win compensation. The cross-examination lasted hours and was distressing she reported. The gravity of the offence should have attracted a sentence of around 5 years maybe more. The jury decided on 6 months and he has been dismissed from the service. Another quirk is that at the time of this trial, juries could decide on sentencing in American court proceedings (in some states). That has now ended.

He can appeal but an added twist is that the appeal will take place in Maryland. Can we guess the result of that appeal?

The question has to be – who on earth in Cambridgeshire police agreed to cede jurisdiction to the Americans? The offence took place against a British woman off base. It is not the only such case. The government is looking into the circumstances of this case and others so we must hope for a more robust response in future. And where are our media when it comes to shining a spotlight on this behaviour? With threatened takeover of more of our TV networks by US companies, it is a warning that the lack of reporting of outrageous cases such as this is a real prospect. Justice must not only be done but must manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done. Not hidden away on a US base.

The whole question of these bases came into the spotlight with the attack on Iran. Sir Keir Starmer is said not to have allowed our bases to be used for American aggression. As President Trump is no longer interested in NATO, what future for their bases on British soil?

NOTE: We normally cross check stories to seek multiple sources and differing points of view. We have been unable to do this with this post because of a complete absence of coverage by British media apart from the Guardian to whom we are grateful.

• BBC ‘bias’ in Gaza conflict
• The vigils continue
• Britain’s support for the arms trade
• British woman tried on an American base
• Death penalty in Florida