British Army major general faces court martial for first time in more than 200 years after being accused of illegally claiming up to £50,000 allowances to send his child to private school
- Nick Welch, 57, was charged with fraud at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire
- Army regulations allow claims of up to £23,480 towards private school fees
- Welch allegedly claimed more than double that amount to pay the costs
A British Army major general faces a court martial for the first time in more than 200 years.
Nick Welch, 57, has been accused of illegally claiming around £50,000 in allowances to send one of his children to private school.
He appeared before Bulford Military court in Wiltshire on Friday where he was charged with fraud.
Army regulations allow claims of up to £23,480 a year towards private school fees – but Welch is accused of claiming more than double that.
Nick Welch appeared before Bulford Military court in Wiltshire on Friday where he was charged with fraud
He allegedly used the money to send his child to a school within 10 miles from his £800,000 Shillingstone home in Dorset – complete with a pool – The Sun reported.
His barrister Sarah Jones QC said she plans to try and get the case thrown out before Welch is due to stand trial next year.
The father of three was commissioned in the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1984 and he has served in Berlin, Northern Ireland and Belize.
Welch (pictured above with the then Prime Minister David Cameron) allegedly used the money to send his child to a school within 10 miles from his £800,000 Shillingstone home in Dorset
After stepping down in 2018, Major Welch now works as Chief Operating Officer at Bournemouth Arts University
He was awarded an OBE in 2006 and was previously the highest ranking Army officer at the Ministry of Defence for his role as Assistant Chief of General Staff.
After stepping down in 2018, Major Welch now works as Chief Operating Officer at Bournemouth Arts University.
He is most senior officer to face a court martial since 1815.
That year, Sir John Murray, who commanded a 16,000 strong army in Spain while fighting Napoleon, was convicted of abandoning his siege guns.