Shropshire Star

Family welcome new inquest

The family of a soldier from the Shropshire border who died at the Deepcut Army barracks has welcomed a fresh inquest into the death of another young soldier.

Published
The four young soldiers who died at the Deepcut army barracks

But the parents of Cheryl James said there has still been now meaningful inquiry into why four soldiers died at the Surrey training camp.

Des and Doreen James from Llanymynech say they are please that the High Court has ruled that a new inquest will be held into the death of Private Geoff Gray, 17, from Seaham, County Durham, found with two gunshot wounds to his head in 2001.

The Army said he killed himself but the first inquest in 2002 gave an open verdict.

His death came seven years after Cheryl James was found dead with a bullet wound to the head at the camp in 1995.

Last year a new inquest ruled that she inflicted the wound herself. However, coroner, Coroner Brian Barker QC, criticised the culture at Deepcut, attacked the "haphazard" and "insufficient" provision of welfare support at Deepcut and criticised the lack of female officers.

Mr James said: "We now have three out of the four deaths at Deepcut having an inquest overturned.

"Every day it becomes clearer that everything the families have said this past 16 years has been correct yet mystery still shrouds everything the MOD have told us. T

"They were emphatic in 2003 that there was no cultural issues at the camp, yet at the doorway to an inquest court in February of last year they admitted there were many serious issues and apologised for them.

"There has still been no meaningful inquiry and the MOD remain the arbiter of any decision regarding this. As such they are allowed by the State to hide from us whatever they wish. This has to be challenged."

Mr James said that Surrey Police had been shown to have been complicit on three occasions in inquests that many years later had been overturned.

"They also need to take their place in the dock and answer questions about their own actions -just as the family are having to."

Private Gray's mother, Diane Gray welcomed the ruling she said the family had "been waiting on for so long".

She said: "Our son died in Deepcut in 2001 and there was at best a cursory inquest in 2002.

"This time we hope there will be a full and meaningful inquest into his death.

"He was 17 years old and died serving his country. It's time his country served him and the truth be told."