Bannister pleads guilty at court martial for sexual comments

Former Canadian Forces Capt. Todd Bannister has pleaded guilty at a court martial to charges in connection with making sexual comments to a female cadet in Charlottetown.

At Tuesday's court martial, Bannister was fined $1,500 and demoted from captain to lieutenant, which the prosecutor said sends a message to other members of the force.

Bannister was acquitted in February 2018, but a new trial was ordered on appeal to the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada in May of last year.

He was accused of making inappropriate sexual comments to a cadet, suggesting they have sex together, while he was commander of the cadet corps in Charlottetown.

The charges involved two separate incidents. One was between November 2012 and March 2013, and the second was in 2015.

Judge Cmdr. J.B.M. Pelletier said the demotion marks a step up in penalties for offences like this.

"You breached a trust that your victim placed in you, and that all cadets and their parents placed in you," the judge said.

The prosecutor, Maj. Patrice Germain, echoed the judge.

"It's a process that sends a message to the rest of the forces and other members in similar situations that could commit similar offences," Germain said.  

"That reduction in rank is specifically linked to deterrence, general deterrence to other people in the forces."

Bannister faced four charges in the new trial: two of behaving in a disgraceful manner and two of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline. He pleaded guilty to the two charges of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline.

The prosecutor withdrew the two charges of disgraceful behaviour. 

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