Who is Jayon McKenzie? RAF serviceman denies s*xually assaulting male colleague, blames 'automatism' while asleep

Jayon McKenzie, an RAF serviceman who was accused of molesting a male colleague, has reportedly denied it, claiming he was suffering from ‘automatism’ at the time, which is a term for when bodily movements aren't consciously controlled.

According to the Daily Mail, Jayon McKenzie, an Air Specialist in the RAF, was sharing a hotel room with his 24-year-old colleague in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, for a birthday celebration. After having drinks together one night, as the two returned and fell asleep, McKenzie’s colleague – whose name hasn’t been revealed yet – claimed he tried to grope him.

After the incident that night, the colleague had also texted McKenzie, confronting him about it saying, “I know what you did.”

As per the media outlet, while McKenzie did admit to the incident taking place in the court martial that tried him, he was “adamant” that it was done unconsciously, and he hasn’t “been able to process any of it.”

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Jayon McKenzie has been serving in the RAF for six years

McKenzie first joined the Royal Air Force in March 2016 as an Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic, as per his LinkedIn profile, and has been serving in the RAF ever since.

Before joining RAF, McKenzie took up a 1-year Level-3 Diploma in an accounting course at Barnet and Southgate College, North London, in 2015. There is no information about the technician’s personal or family background available on the internet as of now.

On the allegation of s*xually assaulting his colleague, John McKenzie is currently being tried at the Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire.

Jayon McKenzie's trial (Image via X/@JamesPGoddard90)

In the course of the trial, it was also disclosed that McKenzie was stationed at the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus at the time of the incident. He and a few coworkers, including the victim, had decided to celebrate a birthday by going out to drink in Ayia Napa.

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McKenzie wrote an apology letter to the victim

According to the Daily Mail, McKenzie had also written an apology letter to the victim following his text message. The letter read:

“I can never forgive myself for what I have done. I remember just before you came into the room I felt scared. If you did not message me I would have thought it was a f***ed up dream. None of this is an excuse, I just want you to know. I have not been able to process any of it. I’m sorry.”

The victim later supplied the letter to the military court, claiming that McKenzie must have been aware of what he did because it was “as if he had been caught in the act.” The prosecution has accepted that McKenzie had a history of PTSD relating to other events.

Although Jayon McKenzie has pleaded not guilty to the charge of sexual assault by automatism, he is no longer serving at the RAF Akrotiri base. The outcome of the ongoing trial is yet to be announced.