A DECORATED senior marine from Taunton was one of four marines to have avoided a jail sentence for failing to stop junior ranks 'reefing' each other's bare backsides using a 2ft gel keyboard wrist support nicknamed 'Big Red'.

Corporal Robert Wake of 40 Commando at Norton Fitzwarren pleaded guilty alongside Corporal John Arnett and Sergeants Richard Melia and Ian Spence, of failing to perform thier public duty during celebrations of the Royal Marine Corp's 350th anniversary on October 28, 2014.

They were sentenced to a four-month prison sentence suspended for a year.

Wake and Melia were also punished to dismissal from the services while Spence and Arnett have already left the forces.

Judge Advocate Robert Hill told the court martial at Portsmouth Naval Base that the behaviour was not a form of 'character building, forming a strong spirit of camaraderie in an elite brotherhood of soldiers'.

He said: "It needs to be understood this type of behaviour will be dealt with by the court martial for what it is, it's a calculated course of conduct designed to inflict gratuitous violence on new joiners."

The judge added: "You failed, each of you, to stop it, it was your duty as an NCO (non-commissioned officer) to stop it, with rank comes responsibility and in this case you failed to discharge your responsibility."

The court heard that the four defendants 'encouraged' the activities which left four marines with bruising and cuts to their bottoms which led to them having difficulty sitting down and lying on their backs for two weeks.

Lieutenant Colonel Victoria Phillips, prosecuting, described how up to 50 marines had gathered at a bar at the 42 Commando barracks at Bickleigh, near Plymouth, Devon, and had decided to take part in a game of 'spin a dit'.

She described how the participants, who were new joiners, would stand, with their trousers and underwear around their ankles, on a table surrounded by other marines.

They would then take up the challenge of telling a story or singing a song to entertain the others but if he failed to entertain, he would be subject to reefing (being hit) with Big Red.

Lt Col Phillips explained the number of hits would be determined by a throw of a dice but if the participant called out 'beef reef' he would receive another hit and would also be allowed to hit the person administering the blows with Big Red.

She said: "They were struck on bare backsides by an implement called Big Red. Big Red, kept behind the J company bar, was a red plastic rubber gel wrist support ordinarily used for wrist support when using a computer keyboard."

The court heard that Spence also poured vodka on to the injuries of Marine William Gibson after he had asked for some form of antiseptic.

Spence had pleaded guilty to ill-treatment of a subordinate but was given no separate penalty for this offence.

Robert Pawson, representing 33-year-old married father Arnett, who has since left the forces but was previously of the Lympstone commando training centre in Exmouth, Devon, said that his client regretted not taking action earlier to prevent the injuries.

Christopher Hill, representing, 33-year-old Melia, of the City of London marine barracks, said that his client had just joined the unit as troop sergeant the previous day and was unaware of the injuries being inflicted but had "lacked the moral courage" to stop it.

Bob Williams, representing Spence, 37, who has also left the forces and is formerly of Lympstone, said his client had a "sparkling career" but said his client 'never had the intention to encourage' the others.

Gareth Evans, representing Wake, 30, of 40 Commando near Taunton, Somerset, said: "He thought this was no more than a laugh and states that he did nothing that was intended to injure."