On Monday, both the former junior officer who was allegedly encouraged to kiss the senior officer, as well as Heslop, took the witness stand. The alleged interaction happened in Fiji in March 2023, when the junior officer first joined HMNZS Canterbury, and officers were given leave for a few days after docking and were drinking at a bar in town at night. The former junior officer, who was the sole witness for the prosecution, said the senior officer first caught the attention of him and another junior officer when she tapped on a glass pane and gestured for a kiss through the other side of the glass, and later gestured for them to come inside the bar and tapped on her cheeks to gesture for a kiss. Photo / RNZ, Nate McKinnonAnother Navy officer called as a defence witness said they’d spent the majority of that night with Heslop and did not see them with the junior officer. The New Zealand Defence Force has been approached for comment.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 11, 2026 00:30 UTC