Tri-Service
Doubts Cast At Deepcut Inquest Over Private James' Gun
A former nurse at Deepcut barracks has told an inquest the rifle lying beside the body of British Army recruit Private Cheryl James "looked like it had been placed there".
The 18-year-old soldier was discovered with a fatal bullet wound on November 27 1995 - one of four recruits to die at the barracks in Surrey over a seven-year period.
In a statement read at the inquest, Catherine Smith said: "I could see the girl was dead as there was a large wound to her head and what appeared to be grey matter. A rifle was lying next to the body." She added:
"The rifle was lying neatly alongside her body, it looked to me like it had been placed there, such was its position."
Mrs Smith called Surrey Police in 2002 to report what she had seen after reading an article about deaths at Deepcut in a newspaper.
Police records of the call stated that she was "concerned nobody from the military spoke to her after the event" and was "not happy about the position of the body".
One of the last people to see Private James alive, meanwhile, said he was "surprised" he was not interviewed in the investigation into her death.
Major Richard Rimmington, a former instructor at the base, told Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking he was probably the last person to see her alive.
He said he drove through the gate at the training camp where Pte James was posted on guard duty moments before she died. He said:
"At the gate I saw one person, it was a female, a female in uniform doing guard duties. I showed her my ID card and probably said 'good morning how are you'."
When asked if there was "anything notable" about Pte James he replied: "Not at all, not at all."
He said when his colleague arrived around five minutes later he reported the gate was unmanned.
"I remember that day because of the events, it's one of those things that stays in your mind," he added.
He said he has "always wondered" if he was the last person to see Pte James alive but was not interviewed as part of the preliminary investigation into her death. He added:
"I was surprised no one came to talk to me. After the initial inquest had concluded I thought they must not have needed me."
Paul Vernam, former Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) at Deepcut, said he also saw Pte James at the gate and corrected her for not calling him "sir".
He told the inquest there was "nothing unusual" about her response.
"It was quite normal speech, I was in my car, I wasn't shouting at her or anything like that," he added.
"Recruits are often quite nervous about warrant officers... when she jumped back and saluted me I just said stop, I work for a living, you don't salute me just call me sir."
Mr Vernam said he was "shocked" when he was told Pte James had killed herself minutes later.
He told the inquest he was not aware female soldiers were not meant to be posted on guard duty alone. Alison Foster QC, representing Pte James's family, asked:
"Were you aware that it was expressly against orders in force at the time for females to go out on their own?"
Mr Vernam replied that he did not know at the time but had "sorted that out" after Pte James's death.
"There is also, if a single female is on lone guard, an obvious opportunity for her to be overborne, would you agree?" Ms Foster continued.
Mr Vernam answered: "Not really no, I would suggest that the soldiers when by themselves were in daylight and I don't see a threat in daylight hours.
"If a woman is on her own and armed is she more vulnerable to an armed male intruder than a man, purely on physical strength," Ms Foster said.
"Yes," Mr Vernam said.
It comes after the inquest heard that female recruits at Deepcut barracks were told to "keep their mouths shut" after Private James' body was found.
The inquest has previously heard claims that Pte James was ordered to have sex with another recruit the night before she died, which the soldier in question denied.
It admitted that officers saw new recruits as a sexual challenge at Deepcut, with the inquest also being told that trainees there were left "running around" taking illegal drugs and drinking while underage.
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