Former Major General James Roddis escapes prison after unwanted kiss

Major General James Roddis, 53, was discharged from the army and sentenced by a court martial to six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, for his indecent conduct.

The panel, which consisted of an air marshal, a major general and a commodore, also ordered Roddis to complete 30 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work, as well as paying £2,500 in compensation to his victim.

He had previously admitted to the accusation of indecent behavior.

A court martial in Bulford heard that the delegation was on the last night of a foreign trip in April this year when Roddis made his unwanted advances.

The married father of three had already been drinking for several hours when he began touching the woman's hair before kissing her on the lips.

Former Major General James Roddis carried Prince Philip’s coffin. (Image: Holger Hollemann/Alamy/PA Wire)

The group had been drinking for several hours before heading to a karaoke bar where they downed glasses of champagne.

Part of the incident was recorded on a cellphone when another officer was filmed telling a story with “racist and homophobic undertones” while pouring champagne from the fountain.

In the background of the clip, Roddis can be seen touching the plaintiff's hair and gesturing with his finger to stop.

The court heard that the kiss was not filmed, but the time before it was.

Prosecutor Graham Coombes said Roddis began playing with the woman's hair, ripping off her hair tie and telling her “her hair looked better down”.

“You can see her look up and express her displeasure,” said Mr Coombes.

A few minutes later, Roddis puts his hands on her chin and kisses her on the lips for about two seconds.

Major General Roddis was sentenced to a suspended sentence at the Court Martial Centre in Bulford. (Image: Steve Parsons/PA)

Passing sentence, Attorney General Alan Large said: “We have listened carefully to your submission that, because of the influence of your alcohol, you may have thought the victim had consented to what you were doing to her hair and that you only realised you had gone too far when she did not return the kiss.”

“In our view, this does not help you much – your duty was to remain in control of your actions, to consider the needs and views of those around you, and not to get so drunk that you could no longer recognise obvious signs.”

The court heard that two female officers had lodged complaints about Roddis' conduct following an incident in 2023, also abroad, in which he asked “questions of a sexual nature” and “touched one of the women in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.”

In a victim impact statement, the complainant, whose identity cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, said she “did the right thing” in reporting Roddis.

“My biggest concern is how powerless I was that night. I feel vulnerable,” she added.

The court heard that Roddis had a distinguished 29-year military career, was appointed MBE and was awarded several medals.

Until recently, he was director of strategy for the Strategic Command, an organization that includes special forces and intelligence units.

Jane Bickerstaff KC, defending, said Roddis had recently been diagnosed with alcohol dependence and had turned to drinking to “relieve stress” as he was unable to balance his career with the difficulties in his family life.

“It was a stupid, reckless, momentary act while drunk,” she said.

“This conduct, which lasted for a few minutes, resulted in the loss of a career that he had worked on for 30 years, a distinguished career for which he has received a number of awards.

“They will understand that he has not only lost his career, but also the potential future prospects of that career.”