Lance Corporal who told Warrant Officer that his rank ‘didn’t matter’ and they were both ‘just soldiers with numbers’ is fined £1,100 for disrespectful behaviour

• Ramon Haywood ignored orders to return to provided room in Germany
• The 41-year-old has similar previous convictions of disrespectful behaviour
• Judge has warned any repetition would result in a loss of rank 

A British Army soldier who disrespected his superior by telling him his rank ‘didn’t matter’ and that they were both ‘just soldiers with numbers’ has escaped with just a fine.

Lance Corporal Ramon Haywood and his team of seven were given four rooms of accommodation between them while on exercise in Germany, a court martial heard.

As a result, they spread out into more rooms than allocated to make themselves ‘comfortable’, but as more troops arrived LCpl Haywood then ignored orders to return to the original rooms provided.

The 41-year-old has similar previous convictions, but was warned by the judge any repetition would result in a loss of rank and period in military detention.

After admitting two counts of disrespectful behaviour to a superior officer, LCpl Haywood was fined £1,100 at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire.

Lance Corporal Ramon Haywood is pictured at Bulford Military Court Court, where he was fined £1,100 for disrespectful behaviour

The 41-year-old soldier told a Warrant Officer that his rank ‘Didn’t matter’ and that they were both ‘Just soldiers with numbers’  

Major Sarah Gerrard told the court the incident unfolded shortly after their arrival as part of Exercise Cerberus, in Sennelager, Germany.

‘[LCpl Haywood] was told by Warrant Officer [Tristan] Russell that he needed to consolidate his team into a lower number of rooms to accommodate for incoming troops.’

However, he refused to do so and was adamant the order instead come from the Company Quarter Master Sergeant (CQMS).

The court heard when WO Russell asked ‘who he thought he was’ to get the CQMS down to sort an accommodation quarrel, LCpl Haywood asked him the same thing.

WO Russell then rang the CQMS and had him on loudspeaker, before LCpl Haywood walked away while he was still on the phone.

After admitting two counts of disrespectful behaviour to a superior officer, LCpl Haywood was fined £1,100 at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire

Maj Gerrard added: ‘He again refused to move and said his rank didn’t matter and they were just soldiers with numbers.’

The court heard LCpl Haywood had previously been convicted of two charges of disrespectful behaviour, dating back to October 2020.

In mitigation, James Ross said LCpl Haywood ‘now accepted’ he should have followed orders of WO Russell more quickly and his conduct had been ‘unacceptable’.

Judge Alistair McGrigor described LCpl Haywood as challenging the orders of a senior non-commissioned officer and ‘posturing’ in front of his team, adding: ‘As a Lance Corporal of five years you would have known it was not your place.

‘You must understand such behaviour was inappropriate and had the potential to effect unit cohesion.’

LCpl Haywood was therefore a total of £1,100 and reprimanded.

The judge warned a repetition would likely result in a loss of rank and period in detention.

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