Sexual Misconduct Allegations Won't Be Considered In Deepcut Inquest

Sexual misconduct allegations at the notorious Deepcut army barracks will not be considered as part of the inquest of a young soldier who died at the base, a coroner has ruled.

Private Sean Benton was found with five bullets in his chest in June 1995, shortly after he had been told he was to be discharged from the Army.

His family's legal team had asked that "cogent" allegations of sexual miscount by NCOs against female trainees be considered within the scope of a new inquest into his death, due to begin in January.

They submitted that such allegations made by potential witnesses were relevant to show propensity of those NCOs to abuse their positions of power and trust.

There is no evidence of any sexual misconduct against Pte Benton, who was from Hastings, East Sussex.

Judge Peter Rook QC said the allegations may be "reprehensible" and "potentially humiliating for the victim" but were not of "sufficient probative force" to be considered as part of the inquest.

He told a pre-inquest hearing at Woking Coroner's Court on Friday:

"None of the sexual misconduct allegations individually or collectively is of sufficient probative force in respect of the issues that need to be resolved within the scope of this inquest."

He added: "My statutory task is to determine how and in what circumstances Sean Benton came by his death, not to review more generally the wider behaviour of NCOs at Deepcut".

A previous ruling determined that the inquest can hear evidence alleging one of the young private's former instructors bullied other recruits.

The family of Pte Benton allege that Sgt Andrew Gavaghan, now retired, was among those who bullied and harassed the 20-year-old before his death.

Pte Benton was the first of four young soldiers to die of gunshot wounds at the Surrey barracks between 1995 and 2002.

His family have campaigned for years for a full investigation into his death amid allegations he suffered prolonged physical and psychological bullying.

A Royal Military Police investigation led to an initial inquest finding of suicide in 1995, even though no evidence was given about his experiences at Deepcut.

Pte Benton's sister Tracy Lewis and twin brother Tony Benton, represented by Liberty, applied for a second inquest in July 2015 which was granted last year.