Tri-Service

Body Of Deepcut Recruit Exhumed For Second Post-Mortem

The body of an Army recruit who died at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey has been exhumed and a second post-mortem examination been performed.

Private Cheryl James was 18 and had been at the Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut for just eight days when she died.

She was undergoing basic training when she was found with a bullet wound to her head in November 1995. Her family has fought for almost two decades to find out what happened.

She was the second of four young recruits found dead there between 1995 and 2002. Privates Sean Benton, James Collinson and Geoff Gray also died of gunshot wounds.

The initial investigation by the Royal Military Police ruled her death to be suicide. A further inquiry by Surrey police followed, which found there had been no third-party involvement. There were accusations of bullying and a cover-up at the time.

The original inquest, which had lasted just an hour, recorded an open verdict - but this was later quashed.

Last year High Court judges ordered a fresh inquest into Cheryl’s death

The family’s lawyers, from Human Rights organisation Liberty, say key witnesses were not called and medical records were not inspected.

Her parents wanted her body to be exhumed so further ballistics tests could be carried out on bullet fragments. At the last pre-inquest hearing in May, the family’s QC argued that particles found in her body were yellow when the SA80 rifle she was armed with used red bullets.

A second post-mortem has now been carried out and her body has been re-interned. Further details are expected to be revealed at a pre-inquest hearing.

The Princess Royal Barracks are currently used as a training camp for Defence College of Logistics and Personnel Administration but are earmarked for closure next year.