Army

Deepcut: Pte James' Death "Consistent" With A Self-Inflicted Injury

A ballistics expert said the death of Private Cheryl James at Deepcut Barracks was "consistent" with a self-inflicted injury.

The 18-year-old British Army recruit was discovered with a fatal head wound on 27th November 1995 - one of four young soldiers to die at the training camp in Surrey over a seven-year period.

Pte James, from Llangollen in North Wales, was found with a bullet injury between her right eye and the bridge of her nose.

Former forensic scientist David Pryor told an inquest at Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking it is his "strong opinion" that it was an "intimate contact shot".

He said a series of photographs showing the position of her body, the rifle and her wound were all consistent with a self-inflicted injury. He said:

"The photographs depicted Private James with a service rifle by her side, muzzle pointed towards her head. I considered that the position was consistent with her having held the rifle".

He continued: "I noticed an area of blackening between the thumb and forefinger of Private James's left hand.

"Clearly there is an apparent abrasion on the knuckle. I formed the view that the blackening could be discharge residue from the weapon. But of course couldn't go any further.

"It could be gunshot residue, it could be other dirt, dust, whatever, from the scene. I can't tell, and clearly in the ideal world it would have been subject to analysis."

More: Ex-Soldier's Account Of Cheryl James Death Questioned

Mr Pryor concluded that Pte James had "suffered a gunshot wound to the front of the face" and that the wound "shows features consistent with a contact shot".

"By that I mean with the weapon muzzle in intimate contact with her head," he added.

"The wound exhibited stellate tearing, a feature you see in contact gunshot wounds where the expanding muzzle gasses ... cause the tissue to split in a radial manner.

"This is a feature not observed when the shot is fired from a distance."

He said there was also "blackening" on Pte James's face which, "if it was from the emissions from a gunshot it would be consistent with what you would expect to see ... in contact wounds".

Mr Pryor admitted he could not rule out the possibility the blackening was "bruising, make-up or dirt".

When asked about the absence of an exit wound he said this could have been caused by the bullet becoming "destabilised" and breaking up into fragments.

Mr Pryor was not asked to provide a report until seven years after Pte James's death.

He agreed that he had "vastly less information" than if he had been involved in the investigation at an earlier stage.

He did not have the chance to examine the body, digital photographs with the ability to zoom, enhanced images, the bullet or casing, the inquest was told.

More: Doubts Cast At Deepcut Inquest Over Private James' Gun

Forensic ballistics expert Ann Kiernan conducted a series of experiments using synthetic bone, skin and tissue and pig skin at various firing distances to simulate the injury and deposition of soot from the rifle. She concluded:

"In my opinion the muzzle of the weapon was at contact, or near contact, to Cheryl James's face at the time of discharge".

She told the inquest it is unusual for there to be no exit wound with a close range shot, but that it can occur if the bullet breaks up inside the skull.

She said black marks seen on Pte James's hand in a photograph are "consistent" with her holding the barrel of the rifle when it was fired.

"If it is soot it is consistent with one's hand being near the muzzle of the weapon," she added.

"From this photograph you can't really say if it's soot or not." She continued:

"The orientation of her body, particularly hands, and rifle are consistent with a self-inflicted incapacitating injury."

Ms Kiernan admitted that it was not possible to "exclude other possibilities" from the evidence.

She said blackening on Pte James's face is "consistent with soot deposits".

"In conjunction with the tearing of the skin the associated area of blackening is consistent with a near contact shot," she continued.

Alison Foster QC, representing the James family, questioned Ms Kiernan about the validity of her tests.

She described the methods as "haphazard" and added:

"The tests devised just couldn't show the failure of the exit wound or fragmentation of the bone within the head space."

"I'm not saying who pulled the trigger, I've never mentioned that," Ms Kiernan responded. Ms Foster said:

"I have to suggest there are examples in your report that you did come to the case with a preconceived idea... and your initial view was that the shot was self-inflicted, a self-shooting."