“The accused were slight and young and pale-faced and charged with gross indecency with each other…They are both 22 and single and look as though they haven’t started shaving yet…one serving with weapons intelligence, the other on ‘close protective duties’, his last duty in Northern Ireland that of bodyguard to UDR’s commanding officer.

Both are corporals and have been in the army since they were 16 and 17. The red-haired one is from London and the blond from Glasgow…their own counsel describes it as ‘a strange case’. They are charged with gross indecency on three occasions in Belfast, Glasgow and London…

On the first day of the case the prosecution explained that their defence to the indecency charges was that they had fabricated a homosexual relationship to get out of the army in a hurry; because they had become disillusioned with life in Northern Ireland…

But the prosecuting officer…scorns their story in his summing up. He points out that letters suggesting a homosexual affair were only discovered in the red-haired corporal’s lodgings during an investigation into improperly-held ammunition…He then made three statements to the Special Investigation Branch admitting an affair, and detailed three occasions when indecency had taken place…A similar statement had come from the other corporal.

The letters had been enough to suggest a relationship…he read excerpts. They were sentimental young-love letters…Both accused faces stayed pale and expressionless…

[They were both found guilty]…Both were dismissed from the service, directed to be placed in detention for 56 days and reduced to the ranks.”

Report by Fionuala O’Connor in The Irish Times, July 1980.

Source: A Queer Reader, Patrick Higgins (ed), 1993.