EX-SAS soldier with PTSD jailed for using toddler as a weapon

A former soldier who used a toddler as a weapon to attack police officers has been jailed for 20 months.

Lindsay Rodger, 36, picked up the hysterical two-yearold girl and used her to hit the officers as they struggled to arrest him.

Rodger, who served with the Black Watch and the SAS, was jailed in connection with a drink-fuelled catalogue of crime covered by 11 separate cases at Perth Sheriff Court.

The court was told that he had carried out attacks on seven police officers, brawled with ten, and attacked his wife,arlenerodger,andthree strangers in bars.

He also admitted his fourth offence of drink-driving, plus making bigoted remarks about the travelling community, and several breaches of court orders.

Sheriff William Wood said: “I dare say you are a perfectly nice man when sober and you present that way, but once you have a drink, things change.

“You are a man who has served his country, and from the information I have, you have seen and had to do things most people would find utterly repellant.

“You are one of the few exservice people I have seen who actually has a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I have been very sympathetic towards you. There is precious little more that I can do. I am at the end of my patience.

“It is also my duty to protect the public and the balance now tips in the public’s favour because you have exhausted all of the other options.”

He told Rodger that if he had been sentenced for each case individually he could have been jailed for up to 11 years, but instead would serve half of 20-month sentence imposed.

The court heard how the former special forces soldier ignored pleas to hand the girl over to safety and instead he lashed out with her to fend off the police.

Rodger claimed the incident was sparked by flashbacks he suffered in relation to his time spent in the military.

Solicitor Katie Bell, defending, said: “He wanted to protect her and when the police were trying to take her from him his instinct was to keep hold of her. He is extremely apologetic about this and realises there was no reason for the child to be involved. The fact she was extremely upset brought it all home to him.”

Sheriff Wood told him: “I am surprised someone with your background of military service and so on should have shown such a lack of judgment. If you are drinking to mask post traumatic stress disorder, you have to get a handle on it.”