Tri-Service
"No Way Cheryl James Would Have Taken Her Own Life"
A former Army instructor said there was "no way" a young recruit found shot in the head at Deepcut barracks would have taken her own life and was told to "shut up" when he voiced his opinion, an inquest has heard.
Terence McEleavey said Private Cheryl James was "really happy" on the morning of her death and was excited about a posting to Gutersloh in Germany.
Pte James was on guard duty when he drove into the Surrey camp on November 27 1995. She was found dead minutes later with a bullet wound to the head.
The 18-year-old, from Llangollen in Denbighshire, was one of four recruits to die at the base in seven years. Mr McEleavey told the inquest at Surrey Coroner's Court in Woking:
"She seemed really happy, she got a posting to Gutersloh. I seem to remember her saying something that she had got the posting she wanted."
He said Pte James was a "character" who was "always smiling, with a happy face", and added: "I've gone through it quite a few times in my mind and didn't notice anything out of order."
He was later asked to identify Pte James's body and told the inquest he was "peeved" that the scene had not been preserved and there were "a lot of people walking around". He said:
"They asked me to identify and pulled the groundsheet back. One side of the face had gone so there was no way I could identify her from that side, so asked if the face could be turned."
He added: "There was too much activity around. They were looking for a (bullet) case which was found on the left of the body.
"It was as if someone had made their mind up already that it was a suicide and they were walking around picking up all they could."
He said the scene "wasn't being preserved at all", and added: "I was miffed that a lot of people were walking around the area."
He continued: "I presumed the weapon had been moved because it was away from the body and looked like it had been laid down beside the body.
"It was something later that stuck in my mind. It was away from the body as if it was laid there."
Mr McEleavey said when he was told Pte James had committed suicide, his first thought was "no way would she have taken her own life". He added: "I expressed that quite often."
"She wasn't depressed or anything like that, she was her normal, jolly, happy self."
He said when he expressed his views to his superior officers during an interview, he was told "if I didn't have any positive evidence I should keep it to myself".
"It was along the lines of - you're coming to the end of your career, think about pension time," he added.
"He said don't say anything more and next thing I was on a formal interview and was told basically to be quiet unless I had positive proof."
Mr McEleavey added: "I was told to shut up and taken on a formal interview."
He stopped and shook hands with Pte James's father Des as he left the inquest.
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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