Senior RAF officer from Yorkshire and 'crack' Chinook helicopter pilot jailed for subjecting female colleague to 'degrading' sexual assault

The victim said she felt "ostracised" by the air force, while her attacker Oliver Bayliss, 36, a recent leader of the elite Chinook helicopter display team, was allowed to continue his duties as normal.

Bayliss is now living in a flat in Harrogate after separating from his wife following the allegations, which were proven at Catterick Military Court in North Yorkshire this week.

The victim said she was ordered to work from home after raising concerns that their paths might cross in the line of duty and six months after the assault she tried to take her own life.

Bayliss, a married father, showed no remorse for the assault at a social occasion in January 2022, telling a probation worker he had no need to assault his victim because he was more attractive then her.

The military court heard that he boasted: "I could get more girls than she could men."

Although he was considered a potential risk to adult women and displayed a "worrying attitude" towards them, Bayliss had his sentence reduced from the two-year starting point to 18 months.

Part of the reason for this was his distinguished career, which saw him complete active service in Afghanistan, Iraq and West Africa.

He was told he would serve half his sentence, which will be served in a civilian jail after being cleared through the military prison at Colchester, before he was eligible for release.

A tearful Bayliss, of Harrogate, shook his head as he was marched from the court after being dismissed from the RAF in disgrace.

His victim read out a personal statement about the trauma she suffered via a video link.

She said: "Being ordered to work from home afterwards while the man who assaulted me continued to be in his office left me feeling ostracised.

"I felt as though I had no control over my life. I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and had nightmares about the attack which left me feeling exhausted.

"I felt like a burden to my family and friends and due to the impact of the sexual assault I attempted suicide in June when I felt I could no longer cope."

She needed emergency hospital treatment in the wake of the suicide attempt, the hearing was told.

The victim added: "The only glimmer of a silver lining is that I hope this has taught Oliver Bayliss that he cannot behave in that way."

The court heard that the assault took place as Bayliss's victim tried to get away from him when she saw his wedding ring.

They were not known to each other when they met on the night out at a military base in the south of England, where Bayliss was celebrating his promotion to Squadron Leader.

After talking they went outside and began kissing, but at that point the female officer noticed he was wearing a wedding ring and pulled away from him, intending to go back into the mess hall.

It was then that Bayliss thrust his hand up her skirt and sexually assaulted her, causing her to flee the event with her friends in a state of distress.

The attack left her feeling "flithy and disgusting" and she went to the police to report it the following day.

Bayliss claimed the sexual contact had been consensual and that the woman had instigated it, denying the offence of assault by penetration and forcing her to give evidence in a trial.

However he was found guilty by the court martial board, who found the victim's account that she had not wished to be with a married man truthful.

Assistant Judge Advocate General Edward Legard told Bayliss: "The Board is troubled by your absence of remorse or understanding.

"There has been an element of victim blaming and minimisation of your actions and you have shown an unwarranted sense of entitlement."

During a pre-sentence interview with a probation officer, Bayliss said he had no reason to assault the woman.

Judge Advocate Legard said: "You said you would be able to get more girls than she could men, which displays a worrying attitude towards women in general."

The court found he posed a risk of harm to adult females due to the attitude shown in the wake of his offence.

The judge advocate added: "This was a betrayal of the values and standards of the Royal Air Force and tarnishes the reputation of the officer corps.

"You wear the insignia on your sleeve for a reason, which is to uphold the highest standards of integrity and to lead by example."

Andrew Molloy, mitigating, said that the incident had brought an end to Bayliss's marriage and he was now separated from his young children and living in a flat.

He said: "Squadron Leader Bayliss has suffered mental health problems which cannot be understated. He was signed off from flying due to these mental health issues and has needed to take time off.

"His marriage is now over although his wife has provided a character reference for him to be considered by the court."

In 2019 Bayliss, a crack pilot, was made manager of the RAF's elite Chinook helicopter display team which tours airfields around the world.

A press release at the time said he would be: "Charged with the organisation of the team, from training schedules to fuel and sponsorship," adding: "Oli is key to the running of the team."