Former soldiers cleared of raping female colleague Anne-Marie Ellement

(Family handout/Liberty/PA)

Two former soldiers have been cleared of raping their female colleague Corporal Anne-Marie Ellement in 2009.

Thomas Fulton and Jeremy Jones, both 28, were found not guilty of two charges of rape but told their conduct on the night of 20 November had nonetheless been "disgraceful".

Cpl Ellement was found hanged in her barracks at Bulford in Wiltshire on 9 October 2011, almost exactly two years after engaging in a drunk threesome with the two men while they were stationed in Germany.

A seven-strong court martial board on Thursday found the sex was consensual, but judge Jeff Blackett nonetheless condemned their behaviour on the night in question.

"This is not a moral judgment and I make no comment upon sexual practices involving more than two people," he said.

"But the way you treated Anne-Marie after your encounter was extremely unpleasant.

"After engaging in sex you effectively discarded her while you decided to go off to town without a thought for how she might be feeling or how she might get back to her accommodation safely.

"For Mr Fulton to call her those very unpleasant names including the word 'slag' was truly dishonourable.

"You may have grown up in the seven years since this incident and I hope you will never act in such an appalling way again.

"When you look back on what happened you must feel very ashamed."

In March 2014, coroner Nicholas Rhinberg said the "lingering mental effects" of the alleged rape were a factor in Cpl Ellement's suicide.

Mr Rhinberg found Cpl Ellement believed she had been raped and was strongly affected by the "deeply humiliating experience".

The case was nonetheless originally dismissed in 2010, and was only brought following a lengthy fight for justice by Cpl Ellement's family.

The judge said the case "should have been heard five years ago", but said it was nonetheless "absolutely correct" for proceedings to be reinstated.

Additional reporting by agencies