'I bugged car to trap cheating wife and major'

A husband told today how he found out his Army wife was having an affair with a major from a sexually explicit text message he found.

Fireman George McConnell, 41, said he then bugged her car to find out the full extent of the relationship.

An employment tribunal in Southampton has already heard that Angela McConnell, 41, a warrant officer, also had affairs with two other officers and a lesbian fling with another soldier at her Army base.

Her husband said that he challenged the major, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, and he denied that anything was going on.

The major, from elite cavalry regiment The King's Royal Hussars, insisted that the text message had been a "bit of fun".

Still suspicious, Mr McConnell got some bugging devices from a work colleague. He said he put a voiceactivated dictaphone and microphone in her car and also bugged the house telephone.

In April 2002 Mr McConnell recorded a conversation between the major and his wife when the officer got into her car at a lay-by near the camp where they were both based.

In the statement he said the major appeared to be crying as he got into the car. He said: "Oh I love you. I can't do without you."

WO McConnell replied: "Well I don't feel the same way about you."

The tribunal heard that the major said: "I love you." He then kissed her. It went quiet, then WO McConnell said: "Don't kiss me any more I'll get cam (camouflage) cream all over me."

This was enough for Mr McConnell and he went to see the major and his wife's commanding officer.

Mr McConnell said: "The CO said, 'You know that this man has previous don't you?'

"I said, 'Well I do now.' As the senior officer listened to the tape he said, 'When did this take place?' I said, ' Yesterday'.

"The CO replied, 'Bloody XXXX was supposed to be on exercise'." The commanding

officer then said he would start an investigation and Mr McConnell went to his wife's place of work, gave her some clothes and the keys to her car and said: "Goodbye, have a nice life."

Later he found out that his wife had also had an affair with Lieutenant Colonel Shaun Wilson of the Tank Regiment, the tribunal was told. Mr McConnell spoke to the officer's wife about what had happened.

WO McConnell, a mother of two, is claiming sexual discrimination against the Ministry of Defence, alleging she was treated differently to the major when their affair was exposed. She claims she was recommended for demotion to corporal or dismissal while the major was allowed to retire on full pension of £16,000-a-year and £80,000 lump sum.

WO McConnell is also claiming sexual harassment by the major.

She alleges she was pressurised into the affair as she felt her career would be put in jeopardy if she rejected his advances.

WO McConnell, from West Lulworth, Dorset, is expected to be discharged from the Army next month having submitted her resignation notice.

The Ministry of Defence denies sexual discrimination and the major denies harassment.

The hearing continues.