Lieutenant jailed for bullying

A PLATOON officer at one of the Army's main infantry training centres was yesterday sentenced to 15 months' jail and ordered to be dismissed from the service in disgrace for ill-treating recruits.

Lieutenant Nicholas Tod, 25, showed no emotion as he was marched away from a court martial held near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, where he had admitted scandalous conduct unbecoming an officer, two charges of conduct prejudicial to military discipline, and four charges of ill-treating soldiers. Sentence is subject to confirmation.

The tribunal was told that Lt Tod, who is married and has served in the Gulf and Northern Ireland, bullied and humiliated recruits by kissing and cuddling them and forced one to perform a sex act in front of others.

The ill-treatment came to light after members of Tod's platoon barricaded themselves into a room at Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, Staffordshire, in August 1992 and the Army's Special Investigation Branch set up an inquiry.

Howard Morrison, for the defence, urged the tribunal to view the incidents as acts of immaturity.

After the hearing, Brigadier Ronnie Silk said: 'Ill-treatment of recruits in any form is abhorrent to the Army.'