The mother-in-law of a soldier who faces prison for raping a colleague has been reported to police for allegedly harasses his victim.
Father-of-two Sergeant Michael Ball faces years in prison when he is sentenced for raping a fellow soldier after he went on a marathon drinking session.
Now it’s emerged that Sandra Nicholls, 71, grandmother of his children, has apparently been messaging family and friends of the woman he raped.
The messages have been framed as in support of his wife and her daughter.
Nicholls, from Burscough, Ormskirk, is understood to be close to both her daughter and son-in-law and has posted pictures of them in happy family situations.
So her world was rocked when it emerged that Ball attacked a junior officer after he had been binge drinking all day and night at a mini festival party called ‘Camp Messtival’ in their barracks in Abingdon, Oxford.
Despite Ball being convicted, his mother-in-law has continued to outspokenly support him online – written as being in support of her daughter.
Messages sent via a Facebook account in the name of Sandra Nicholls querying Ball’s guilt to close associates of the complainant, at least one of whom didn’t know about the rape.
In one post she wrote: ‘My son-in-law Michael has been accused and convicted of rape. We, the friends and family of Michael, know that this accusation is not true.’
She then made disparaging remarks about the complainant. The messages also name the victim – which is illegal in sexual offence cases – and identify her partner.
One claim: ‘We know that the accuser has been enjoying life since the “attack” took place.’
When approached about the episode, the grandmother initially denied that she was behind the messages before conceding that she had written one.
She then said: ‘Michael’s going to prison. We all know that. We sit back and we’ve let everything take its course. And we’ll let everything take its course now.
‘You can do what you want to me. I am Michael’s mother in law. I love him very much. I do not believe he’s guilty.’
In October, Ball was found guilty of rape and sexual assault after a five-day hearing and wept as he was warned that he faced being jailed when sentenced at a later date.
Judge Advocate Edward Legrand, ruled the rapist, the army sergeant, be released on bail post-conviction to get his affairs in order. As part of his bail conditions, Ball must live at his mother-in-law’s address in Ormskirk and answer bail at a civilian police station.
The victim’s mother said: ‘This has set my daughter’s recovery back months and increased the fear that Ball would or had been looking for her to harm her again.’
‘As soon as we became aware of these messages, we tried to contact the Military Police, and nobody was available to speak to us. Eventually, 72 hours after trying to report the messages and the breach of bail conditions, the Military Police told us it was a civilian matter. So we contacted Lancashire Police.’
In an earlier interview with MailOnline Ball’s victim told how she had been left ‘fearing that he will look for me in the same way that he did on the day he raped me.’
Sgt. Ball had been due to be sentenced this week for Rape and sexual assault – when it was expected he would be jailed.
Instead, the disgraced officer will spend Christmas with his children following an adjournment of his sentencing hearing due on 6th December.
Ball will now be sentenced in February 2024
An Army Spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that Sergeant Michael Ball was found guilty of rape and sexual assault at Catterick Court Martial Centre on 20th October 2023. Any questions for the civilian police should be directed to them.’
