Ex-Major General admits disgraceful conduct

Ex-Maj Gen Roddis is a former commanding officer of The Highlanders, Royal Regiment of Scotland

A former senior Army officer and decorated war hero has pleaded guilty to disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind at military court.

Ex-Maj Gen James Roddis, who is one of the most senior army officers to be court-martialled in the last 200 years, admitted to playing with a woman's hair and kissing her without consent on 12 April.

He was originally charged with sexual assault, but his plea for the lesser charge was accepted.

Roddis appeared via video link at Bulford Military Court Centre in Wiltshire on Wednesday, and will be sentenced on 5 September.

Roddis' guilty plea was to the charge of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind, under section 23 of the Armed Forces Act 2006.

Graham Coombes, prosecuting, told the court that the views of the complainant had been sought before the decision to accept the plea was made.

"We have taken into account the seriousness of the offence and the live issue of consent and taken into account the views of the complainant," he said.

"She has indicated she is content for it to be a disgraceful conduct count.

"The plea is on a full facts basis, and it is accepted the complainant did not consent at any point to the behaviour."

Roddis will be sentenced at Bulford Military Court Centre in Wiltshire in September

Roddis is a former commanding officer of The Highlanders, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland, and later played a role overseeing special forces.

He received a number of accolades during his military career, including a Distinguished Service Order - an award given for highly successful command and leadership during active operations.

He was awarded an MBE and also earned two Queen's Commendations for Valuable Service in 2008 and 2017.

Until recently, Roddis was director of strategy for Strategic Command - an organisation comprised of special forces and intelligence units among other responsibilities.

In 2014, he was commanding officer of The Highlanders - who were then the last Scottish battalion to serve in a combat role in Afghanistan.

A spokesperson for the British Army said the forces would not offer further comment while legal proceedings were ongoing.

In 2021, former Maj Gen Nick Welch faced a four-week trial, also at Bulford Military Court Centre, and was then the most senior officer to face court martial since 1815.

Welch, who left the military in 2018, was convicted of a single charge of fraud in March 2021 and was jailed for 21 months for falsely claiming more than £48,000 in allowances to pay for his children's boarding school fees.