Trial for British sailors accused of sexual assault begins Tuesday in Halifax

HALIFAX -- The trial of two British sailors accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Nova Scotia military base begins Tuesday.

Darren Smalley and Simon Radford are charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm and participating in a group sexual assault in barracks at 12 Wing Shearwater on April 10, 2015.

The Crown had originally charged four men, but charges against two of the sailors have been dropped.

Several days into a preliminary inquiry in April 2016, charges were dropped against Craig Stoner, while charges against Joshua Finbow were withdrawn in December.

The Crown said the prospect of convicting Finbow became unrealistic after Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Patrick Duncan deemed his police statement inadmissible at trial.

Twenty-seven days have been set aside.