Major General James Roddis, who was given a medal for his service in Afghanistan and Iraq, has been dismissed from the army after admitting to an ‘indecent act’
A Major General who had the honour of being a pallbearer at Prince Philip’s funeral has been given his marching orders from the Arm y following a boozy incident where he attempted to kiss a female colleague.
James Roddis, a married father of three, was found to have “inappropriately” fondled the hair of a female RAF officer before kissing her without consent. In a formal military proceeding on Wednesday, he was booted out of the Armed Forces after admitting to disgraceful conduct of an indecent nature.
The court-martial resulted in Roddis receiving a six-month prison term, suspended for two years. Additionally, he is required to undergo 30 days of rehabilitation activities, contribute 150 hours of unpaid work, and compensate the victim with £2,500.
Judge Advocate General Alan Large scolded him during sentencing, declaring: “The kiss and touching of the victim was clearly an indecent act and your conduct was persistent, to a degree.”
He berated the disgraced officer, saying, “This was an escalating course of indecent conduct and when you grabbed her face and kissed her you intended to do just that.”
This scandalous episode has cost Roddis dearly, ending his illustrious military stint. His record boasts the distinguished Distinguished Service Order (DSO), the pinnacle of UK combat leadership recognition, alongside two Queen’s commendations and a Mention in Dispatches for his valiant exploits in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The fateful night unfolded while Roddis and his servicemen were off duty, socializing in Japan. Prosecutor Graham Coombes recounted how the evening escalated as Roddis committed the assaultive act after imbibing “a substantial quantity of alcohol” during karaoke bar revelries.
He added: “By the time the group headed to the karaoke bar, the complainant accepted that she was drunk and it became apparent that the accused was drunk.”
Describing the incident, Mr Coombes continued: “He begins to touch and inappropriately touch and play with her hair and touch her ponytail before putting his arm around her.”
“She turns to the accused and asks him to stop. She turns towards him and raises her finger appealing to him to stop. She says she didn’t know what else to do to stop him touching her hair.
“The accused continues to touch her and pulls the bobble out causing her hair to roll down and he says to her that ‘her hair looks better down’. You can see her raise her eyes and indicate her displeasure.”
Mr Coombes added: “Shortly afterward, as a result of what the accused had done, she left the bar with another member of the group.
“She says she felt really angry and was upset about what had happened. The victim was carrying out her duties.
“She attended the social event as part of her duties and was expected to attend the final night. The defendant was in a position of responsibility and trust. The offences took place in public.”
The complainant said in a statement that her “main concern is how powerless I was that night. It has left me feeling vulnerable.” Jane Bickerstaff KC, defending, said Roddis has been diagnosed with alcohol dependency.
She remarked: “He has been through a formal disciplinary process and his commission has been revoked. He is not allowed to refer to himself as having been a major general in the Army.
“This conduct taking place over a few minutes has resulted in the loss of a career that he spent 30 years building – a distinguished career in which he has received a number of citations.
“You will appreciate that he has lost not only his career but the future potential prospects of that career. When one appreciates, as James Roddis does, that one only has one’s self to blame, it is a bitter pill to swallow.”
