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A soldier has admitted assaulting others in his command with a rifle while serving with the New Zealand Army in East Timor.
Corporal Paul Dudley today pleaded guilty to eight of 15 charges against him in a court martial being held at Canterbury's Burnham Military Camp.
He will face trial on the remaining seven charges before a military panel.
Dudley admitted two charges of using a Steyr rifle to assault two privates under his command in East Timor between July and August last year.
He also admitted an assaulting a private in training before travelling to East Timor before April and May last year.
Dudley also pleaded guilty to speeding in a military vehicle and attempting to have soldiers in his command to lie about damage to a military vehicle used in East Timor.
He admitted failing to ensure people in his command were meeting the appropriate dress standards and catching a local taxi against written orders.
The Court Martial may last a number of days as the remaining seven charges are heard.
They include assault, threatening to shoot a soldier, using threatening or provocative language, in which it is alleged that when he became aware of an investigation into his conduct he said "when I find the nark watch out".
It is alleged Dudley punched a private in the head and kicked another to the ground, threw hot coffee on a soldier and allowed soldiers on sentry duty at Becora prison to watch DVDs while meant to be guarding and monitoring visitors.
