A drunken British Royal Marine, who copped a face full of pepper spray after launching himself at a police officer who was arresting his colleague following a night out at Monsoons, has avoided a conviction.

Luis Estuardo McQuade pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court on Wednesday to assaulting, resisting and hindering police after the bibulous “moment of madness” in the early hours of August 5.

Prosecutor Brittany Stone told the court McQuade was celebrating the end of his deployment with colleagues at Monsoons when he became intoxicated and was removed by security “as a result of his behaviour”.

After an NT Police senior constable arrested one of his friends, Ms Stone said the 26-year-old ran straight at the officer, put both his arms around his shoulders and neck and tried to pull him back.

“During the struggle with police (a constable) deployed pepper spray into the eyes of the defendant,” Ms Stone said.

A US Marine charged with rape while on rotation in the Top End has had his plans to return home to await trial put on ice after being placed on bail in the Darwin Local Court on Friday.

The court heard the 24-year-old — who cannot be named before being committed to stand trial — had been issued with a notice to appear after the charge was laid on May 1.

But prosecutor Rhiannon McGlinn said her office had requested the case be relisted a day before his Marine Corps contract was due to lapse to ask that he be placed on bail instead.

In granting bail, Mr Neill ordered the man to live at the Defence Establishment Berrimah and not travel more than 100km from Darwin while surrendering his travel documents and steering clear of the airport.

A US Marine appeared in court after being charged with rape, charges he will seek to contest.

The man appeared in the Darwin Local Court on Wednesday charged with sexual intercourse without consent.

He was joined in court by members of his marine corps.

The case returns for a preliminary examination mention on July 3, where the defendant is excused.

A US Marine who allegedly raped a young woman before conspiring with a fellow jarhead to cover it up has faced the first day of his trial alongside his “friend and gym buddy”.

Lester Rodriguez Turcios pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court to rape, aggravated assault and attempting and conspiring to pervert the course of justice, while fellow marine Juan Martinezjaramillo pleaded not guilty to conspiracy.

In his opening address to jurors on Monday, Crown prosecutor Damien Jones quoted directly from the 19-year-old alleged victim following the incident on May 27 last year.

“I woke up to him pushing himself inside me, I had no underwear on, I was like ‘uh, what the f--k?’, I’ve tried pushing him off me quite a bit but he had kind of pinned me down."

The woman reported the alleged assault six days later and police asked Martinezjaramillo to make a statement as a potential witness on June 21. Investigators also obtained a warrant to seize Turcios’ mobile phone, which revealed conversations between the two marines “as to what was going to be said in the interview”.

Police & Courts

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An American Marine who drunkenly groped a woman in a Territory nightclub has promised to hold his mates to account and prevent future seedy assaults.

Kymani Powell appeared in Darwin Local Court on Friday to plead guilty to unlawfully assaulting a woman at the Landmark Hotel on Roystonea Ave, on April 30.

Prosecutor Marty Aust said the Connecticut man “forcefully groped” his victim, who was unable to defend herself in the popular nightclub. 

“This was an uninvited, unwanted intrusion on an intimate area of her body by a stranger,” Mr Aust said.

Defence barrister Mary Chalmers said 21-year-old  Powell had struggled with being separated from his family, and was appalled by his own actions.

“It was … an ill-advised lapse in his otherwise exemplary character.”

Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris found him guilty, but did not record a conviction. Powell was also fined $150.