FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An Army general who admitted to improper relationships with three subordinates appeared to choke up Monday as he told a judge that he’d failed the female captain who had leveled the most serious accusations against him.

Hours later, she took the stand to testify about how she can’t trust people and fears her superiors are always going to take advantage of her in the aftermath of the three-year affair.

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Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair shakes hands with his defense attorney Ellen C. Brotman outside the Fort Bragg, N.C., courthouse on Monday. The Associated Press

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair’s voice halted as he told the judge why he was pleading guilty to mistreating her in a deal that included dropping sexual assault charges.

“I failed her as a leader and as a mentor and caused harm to her emotional state,” Sinclair said, his voice catching as he read from a statement. He asked the judge for a break and took a long drink of water before continuing to read.

“I created a situation over time that caused her emotional harm,” Sinclair said.

It was the first public show of regret or sadness for a 27-year veteran who had betrayed little emotion in court hearings over the past year.

The judge accepted Sinclair’s guilty pleas on several lesser charges in a deal that included dropping sexual assault counts and two others that may have required him to register as a sex offender.

The sentencing hearing for Sinclair, the former deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, began Monday afternoon and was expected to last until at least Tuesday.

As many as two-dozen witnesses could be called and Sinclair’s attorney said he will either give a statement or testify.

Sinclair’s attorney suggested that he might walk out of court a free man, but without a career and with hundreds of thousands of dollars less in pension benefits.

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